


Ravished

by lisinfleur



Series: Vikings - Long Fictions [4]
Category: Vikings (TV), Vikings (TV) RPF
Genre: Angst, Battle Scenes, Blood and Torture, Disturbing Themes, Drama, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Love, Rituals, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 20:08:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16793860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisinfleur/pseuds/lisinfleur
Summary: After the War of the Brothers, a new alliance between Ivar and his brothers raises over Kattegat. But not all the landlords want to submit to this new command.





	1. Prologue: Dancing With Dragons

**Author's Note:**

> Based on anon requests received through Tumblr.  
> https://lisinfleur.tumblr.com/post/175581572452

The sounds of leather boots against the wooden floor and mead being poured on a cup were almost everything that could be heard on that room. The two men inside were talking in low voices, of course. Both of them knew they were messing with fire and if the wrong ears could hear what they were saying inside that locked place, their heads would be exposed at Kattegat’s principal square for sure. Especially if the rumors were right and the new kings of their lands were as fierce as the people were saying.

 ** _“It is hard to believe,”_** said the older one, still walking around the table. The protruding belly coming before the body, remembering the other one how many time his partner should be seated behind his table avoiding the battlefield. **_“That bunch of brats… I still remember knowing the oldest one. Ironside, right?”_** the oldest questioned and it was time for the youngest voice to echo in the room, firmer, stronger, even louder; maybe fearless of the consequences of their plans.

 ** _“Well, they aren’t a bunch of brats anymore. Time changes people, Bolduir.”_** The man said, sighing with his cup of mead shortening the distance until touching his lips for a short sip. ** _“The rumors said the Ironside is not untouchable anymore. Maybe he lost the favor of the gods with his father’s death”_** he continued, sarcastic.

The disgrace of the King was something good for their plans. So it was the fall of the queen and the usurper after her.

Bolduir scratched his beard, taking the seat at the headboard of the table. **_“Time or no time, Ragnar’s sons will always be a bunch of spoiled brats for me”_** he sentenced, hoarse. **_“I’ve heard the oldest one is exiled and the other three are dividing the lands. The useless and infamous is seated on the throne as if he was something more than a boaster brat. The betrayer is walking around, talking with the Earls and Kings to reinforce oaths of loyalty we made to his father and the crippled bastard seems to have dragged his lame butt back to the west.“_**

 ** _“To where he buried his other brother, the snake eyes, right?”_** the youngest asked, keeping the sarcastic tone in his voice. **_“That family… Totally dysfunctional!”_**

 ** _“It doesn’t matter to me, Erik.”_** Bolduir sentenced **_“To be honest, it would have been a favor if that crippled asshole had killed all the other bastards! I doubt they are more than that: bastards! Despite Ubbe – that is his father’s face drawn, as all the sons of bitches are – the others have nothing from Ragnar. And we all know their mother was a whore who laid with other men while the king wasn’t home. For sure Ubbe is the only one true heir of Ragnar after Björn.”_** He said, exalted.

However, Erik’s face remained cold, with the same disdain that was dripping from his tongue into every single word of his mouth.

**_“We shall not underestimate our enemies, Bolduir. It is not because we think they are easier to be overthrown than Ragnar was that we should lower our guards. Sons of a bitch or not, they were all raised as sons of Ragnar and they own this title for more than their birth. I’ve heard Ubbe went to raid with his father when he was only 13 and Hvitserk 11. They weren’t men yet and they were already tasting blood… Ubbe is known in entire England as a beast from which roars could frighten a soldier in battle. I’ve heard Hvitserk is a berserker without a pair and that he fights laughing as a child between his toys. And what to say about a man who should have been killed when born and is still here? Ivar fought his entire life to survive and I’ve heard he is the brain behind the fall of Ecbert and humiliation of his son Aethewulf, defeated by him not once, but twice, one trying to protect his fallen kingdom and other trying to recover York. The man was a beast at the battlefield and I’ve heard that crippled made him flee from the battle with his men every time they crossed his way. The boy killed his own brother in cold blood during a simple arguing, Bolduir. A man who can do such a thing can do anything.”_ **

Erik’s words sounded wise to Bolduir’s old ears. The boy was right: in the end, that bunch of brats had conquered the England that killed their father and came back to overthrow the woman that killed their mother.

 ** _“They are good with acts of vengeance,”_** sentenced the old voice.

 _ **“So we must be careful.”**_ Erik completed **_“If we wanna go against them, so I suggest not letting any of them alive to avenge the others. Let us not commit the same mistakes the others before we did. We shall be prepared to kill them all in a single strike.”_**

 ** _“And after this, Kattegat will be mine”_** Bolduir smiled, savoring the words that defined his dream of so many years becoming true.

 ** _“With a new king in the north as a good ally and old friend”_** Erik completed, raising his cup to toast the betrayal already registered on the beautiful dark blue flag over their table.

A pair of dragons embroidered on the cloth; one gold as the sun on the old standard of Bolduir’s lands; the other white as the snow on the North that Erik wanted to command. The enlaced dragons breathing fire over a crown on the center, representing the betrayal they were planning on that place in a symbol you were forced to make.

Your eyes still saw them drinking after the toast before you left back to your room, hidden through the halls of your castle as a prisoner in what should be your own home. You lightened another candle in a place already filled with paraffin… One more night trying to talk with the gods. First, you were asking for your father’s life. Now, after hearing their plans for days?

You started asking for your own.

And maybe your prayers are being listened with a pair of leather shoes that touched the ground covered in snow near your castle. Shivering and expiring a thick roll of white smoke, a certain man with a single braid in his red hair had his deep blue eyes focused on the single light on your window.

There was still someone awake.

_Maybe it wasn’t too late to arrive…_


	2. Wolves in the Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Face claim: Ramsay Bolton for Erik

**_“Who?”_ **

The sound of the glass of wine shattering on the ground filled the room.

A female slave had come to warn the king and his visitor that King Ubbe, from Kattegat, was in his hall, waiting to be received.

King Ubbe, son of Ragnar and Aslaug, older of the three regents of Kattegat. _The Betrayer…_

 ** _“What is he doing here? How did he get to us? It is impossible!”_** Bolduir was completely out of his mind and he became even more disturbed when Erik’s laugh filled the place. **_“What are you fucking laughing at, Erik? If he ever…”_** the old man started but Erik just cut his sentence before he could curse as a drunken pig.

 ** _“He doesn’t have any idea, Bolduir. Stop being a frightened little girl. You sound like someone who’s afraid of that bunch of brats, isn’t how you call them? C’mon… How many of them?”_** he calmly asked the slave girl and she answered in a low voice.

 ** _“Only him, my lord. King Ubbe came alone”_**.

Her answer caused Erik to giggle disbelieved. **_“Alone… From two, chose one._** ” He started looking at Bolduir ** _“The boy is incredibly arrogant or terribly dumb. A new king coming into foreign lands he never stepped in all by himself? Trying to show himself peaceful or get killed, for sure. He really came for loyalty oaths, nothing more than that. If he had any idea of what we are planning, he would have come with an army. Let’s receive him. And you, Bolduir, please, recompose. We aren’t dealing with more than a child…”_**

–

You weren’t even dressed to receive a visitor, how much more **that** visitor. After what you and heard in that room, you went to the kitchen intending to drink some wine… Wine enough for you to sleep. And so, when you were crossing the hall to get a shortcut to the kitchen your eyes found that figure standing on your entrance, hitting the snow from his shoulders and dressing a heavy mantle with a wolf skin over his shoulders. A single braid made of other braids hanging from his head, perfectly braided with some strands of leather sectioning the long ponytail. With a strong beard and taller than you imagined, Ubbe Lothbrok was standing on your carpet, hitting the tip of his shoes against the ground to remove the last pieces of snow from his raiment before his eyes could find your frozen body looking at him.

Those eyes…

You could never mistake those eyes, blue as the most beautiful sunny sky. He had King Ragnar’s eyes and his gaze made you remember the smile your king had to you the last time you saw him alive. It almost brought tears to your eyes…

_“My king, this is my daughter (Y/N). (Y/N) be educated, come to talk to your king” your father said, not as proud as he was supposed to be._

_He wanted to introduce the king to a boy, or more than one, but there was you, bending your little body with only 12 years old, holding your skirt and trying to make the best reverence you could to your king in order to not to make your father mad._

_Cause ashamed? He would always be._

_But King Ragnar looked at you with tenderness in his eyes and he raised his hand to touch your chin._

_“You look like my child. Gyda,” he said, caressing your jawline with a soft thumb and something like sadness in his eyes._

_But soon his sadness converted into a bright smile. And he turned to your father again. “You’re lucky, my friend. She’s a very pretty young lady”._

You never forgot that smile. His eyes were sad and even he was smiling, his eyes were betraying him just like the blues that was looking at you now were betraying his owner.

There was an educated curve in Ubbe’s lips when he politely saluted you with a small bend of his head.

**_“My lady…”_ **

But his eyes were showing you admiration _while running your entire figure in a way that made your cheeks become red._

 ** _“My king…”_** you answered, bending yourself as you once did to his father, but pretty more graciously now you weren’t a child anymore.

The enchant of his charming eyes and smile almost took the thoughts from your head and you just forgot for a second that your father and king Erik were planning a rebellion against the crown over the head of the man standing in front of you now. He came closer and, Gods… He was mesmerizing, but that cedar scent that came with him almost melted your mind.

 ** _“Are you the owner of this castle, my lady? May I ask your name?”_** he woke you up from the dream that the perfume threw you in and you blinked a few times before answering his question.

 ** _“I… My father owns this place. Bolduir, son of Balkh. I might call him for you, my king”_** you offered, not thinking about what you were saying.

But the Gods somehow were favoring you and instead of letting you go into the lair of wolves that room became, Ubbe held your hand, softly preventing you to leave.

 ** _“Don’t worry, my lady. One of your servants already went into the castle to search for the owner. I thought she might have called you.”_** He said, not leaving your hand and smiling, a little bit closer of you now. **_“But you didn’t tell me your name…_** _”_.

His hand was so warm. Probably the gloves he had on his belt, recently taken from his hands. Such warm hands…

 ** _“I’m (Y/N)…”_** you almost mumbled.

 ** _“(Y/N)”_** he repeated and you felt shivers down your spine with the way your name sounded in that beautiful hoarse voice he had.

You were sure you could hear his voice speaking your name forever.

To be honest, you could hear that voice speaking anything! Battle plans, the dinner menu, your name, anything… All you wanted was to keep hearing him speak. But before he could say anything else, your father came into the hall and you broke your contact with Ubbe’s hand, afraid your father could reprehend you for such audacity.

 ** _“Your Highness, Ubbe Ragnarsson… In my halls!”_** your father said, exaggerated, coming closer and pulling Ubbe into an uncomfortable embrace, almost pushing you aside with his huge body, causing you to stumble on your own feet.

A disgusted pair of hands supporting you by your shoulders made the shivers down your spine become cold… Icy… And your eyes found Erik’s hazel eyes looking straight to you with that strange curve in his lips he always had when you two were near. **_“Take care, (Y/N). You don’t wanna fall in front of your king”_** he said, apocryphal.

You knew Ubbe was no king for him. And pretty more that he wasn’t worried you could fall. He was just happy to be there, able to touch your body in whatever way he could. You took a step forward, keeping the false education with him, but taking your shoulders out of his hands **_“Thank you, Lord Erik”_**.

 ** _“Come in, come in, son… I’ve heard about your father. Such a loss…”_** your father was still talking more than giving Ubbe space to say anything, pulling him with a hand upon his shoulders, almost carrying Ubbe towards that room you were fleeing from some few moments ago.

The blue lagoons turned to you, almost promising a reencounter to keep your conversation from where it stopped, but you felt your heart crushing inside your chest.

There wasn’t an escort… Ubbe was completely alone. Not a single bodyguard to come with him to that place where he would be alone with Erik and your father. _Vulnerable…_

You couldn’t think… The waterfall of thoughts flooded your mind and you just took some steps forward, talking with a loud voice that silenced your father in the middle of a sentence, causing everyone at the room to look at you – your father with the worst of the expressions, of course; Erik with a cockily smile in his face: he knew now you had listened to everything they were talking about… And he knew what side you were taking at that moment.

Ubbe was looking curiously at you, but almost innocently thanking you for silencing the boaster man beside him for a second.

 ** _“Please allow me to serve your table”_**. There wasn’t a way for your father to reprehend you for being so solicitous, offering yourself to leave your right to bed so late in the night to serve a table for him and his noble guests.

What you truly wanted was to yell at Ubbe for not to go into that room, but at least, with you inside that place, your father wouldn’t go forward with any stupidity about killing Ubbe or anything like that and Erik knew that. For them to try something like that Ubbe should be alone and Erik didn’t want to have to kill you as well. Not you.

Not the precious jewel he wanted for himself. Ubbe was safe, at least for that time.

 ** _“I told you she’s precious, Bolduir, my friend. Such a gifted woman,_** ” Erik praised but his hazel eyes were fixed on yours. You could see the threat in his gaze, but he smiled **_“Bring us your best mead, my lady. The king is on our table tonight”_**.

Your father started taking Ubbe with him again and Erik went after them. Ubbe smiled at you and Gods, you never ran so much to prepare a tray in your entire life. But at least with you in that room, your king would have one more night.

But this movement cost you dear…

You took for yourself the service of the table until Ubbe was taken by one of your servants to the guest room he would occupy for this day on. He was tired, so the meeting wasn’t more than a simple conversation. But as soon as he left the halls and there was no way for him to listen anymore, your father pulled you by your hair and Erik locked the door of the room.

Now it was you alone and helpless inside that terrible place. A lamb surrounded by wolves. Angry and hungry wolves.

 ** _“What did you heard, pretty girl? Uh?”_** Erik asked, sarcastic, acting softly as if the tight grip of your father’s hand on your nape wasn’t causing the strands of your hair to break or painfully leave your scalp.

 ** _“So now you’re hearing behind doors and biting my heels as a fucking snake? Is that it? Did the gods hate me that much that your mother gave birth to Jörmungandr? Uh!?”_** your father cursed, furiously.

You were looking to the closed door behind Erik. Oh, Gods, how you wanted Ubbe to come for that wooden wall and save you from that terrible fate… But maybe your father was right because Lord Loki should like you somehow to give your mind creativity enough to trick your enemies at that terrible moment… **_“I’ve heard he came from the other kingdoms from the North, father! We weren’t the first visit! We couldn’t be the last! It would be too obvious!”_** you cried.

And so your father’s grip on your hair became slowly softer and he let go of your head, allowing you to touch your scalp, relieving the terrible pain of his fury. He bit the bait and sighed, seeming satisfied. **_“At least you served for something… She’s right, Erik. The other kingdoms, the ones who reinforced the damn loyalty oaths he is searching for… They would quickly do the math and we would be fucked. We need to keep the boy’s throat where it is; at least until we have the support we want to have. Then, when we have the chance…”_** he made a terrible sound with his lips, hissing and moving his fingers against his neck as a sword sliding on his throat.

You swallowed dry: you were right and they were planning to kill Ubbe on that room tonight. Somehow you managed to save his life and trick your father. But Erik…

Erik wasn’t that easy…

He came closer caressing your face and raising your eyes to his with his index on your chin. **_“Pretty, intelligent… You’re a gift from the Gods indeed, sweet (Y/N)”_** he said, but his fingers slowly slid to your throat and he started pressing it between them until cutting your flow of air, causing you to widen your eyes on his cold hazels **_“Don’t you dare to betray us, pretty (Y/N).”_** he said slowly, almost enjoying the suffocated expression in your face or the despair in your eyes **_“We don’t wanna have to hurt you, my sweet princess. I don’t wanna have to hurt you. Don’t make me think you’re choosing the wrong side and more than that… Don’t you dare to open your mouth to that rat, did you understand me, love?”_**

You tried to nod. Your eyes were becoming dark and you were sure you would faint when he released your throat, allowing you to breathe once again between some harsh coughs **_“Well done… Such a good girl, my sweet (Y/N)”_** he said, turning to your father once again **_“We shall give Ubbe Lothbrok his best stay in the North.”_** He continued, pouring some more mead from the amphora you were using to serve into his cup and taking a small sip before smiling at your father devilishly **_“Every condemned person is entitled to one last good dinner…”_**.

His words were like cold ice coming into your veins. You couldn’t say a word or they would kill you before you could find real help. The servants were loyal to your father so you couldn’t ask them to warn Ubbe. Their plan was traced and all you could do was beg the gods for them to fail.


	3. White Desert Rose

Your father took your words for granted. But even then, you took for yourself all the preparative necessary for tending king Ubbe’s needs. You didn’t trust Erik or the thralls of your castle. Erik wasn’t the Earl in your lands and you also didn’t trust his alliance with your father. He could kill the king and then let your father take the entire guilt. Better safe than sorry.

However, this attitude ended up letting you all the time around the king, serving his meals, taking care of his room and needs, all the time present in his day, seeing those beautiful blue eyes staring at you, following every move you made.

Your father didn’t intend to abort that stupid betrayal plan, so he asked the king sorry for not to be at the castle on the first days of his stay, **_“… but as you can see, King Erik was already here for a reason and we have some little problems to deal with and meetings that were already settled. I don’t wanna miss my word with the earls and landlords, so I’m sure you’ll feel well received by my daughter’s company until I come back”_**. And he left, taking that pair of disgusting hazel eyes with him; to meet the other earls, the other rebels like them, and increase their army.

Before leaving, Erik asked your father to call you inside their room once again, where he remembered you of his threats…

 ** _“We’ll leave things on your hands, pretty bird.”_** You hated so bad that habit he had to caress your face while talking…

His hand was cold. _Ubbe’s was warm_.

**_“Don’t sing too loud, sweet bird… I don’t wanna have to crush you between my fingers.”_ **

They left the thralls with an eye on you. You just couldn’t tell Ubbe what was going on but, even then, you felt safer without that pair of crows flying around the king, almost waiting the right moment to peck his eye out of his head.

Your father was something you were used to. He was always harsh on you because you weren’t the boy he was waiting to have and the gods locked your mother’s womb after you. You’re pretty short she died of disgust to see the way your father became unhappy after she parted her womb to give him a child. Oh, she was so brave; she faced lots of pain and for what? For his disappointed look every time he saw your smile or his back turned every time you asked for his arms until the time you stopped asking. He didn’t care. He would never.

At least not until Erik came into your life.

They used to call themselves kings, but your father was nothing but an earl. And so was Erik: two earls between the major ones at the North. So when Erik took his title from his dead father, he came into your father’s lands to start an alliance since the crown of Kattegat was on Aslaug’s hands and, in his own words, _“The North needs to be strong and care for itself”_.

Since that pair of hazel eyes saw you for the first time you saw a strange and creepy desire into them. And your father didn’t miss it. But what was gruesome to you, was an amazing opportunity for your father to have the son he was asking the gods for so long. Your father didn’t even use to give a damn when Erik started to take some liberties and touching you without your permission or little slapping your hands when you touched or did something he didn’t want to see you doing. It took terrible proportions and now Erik could even choke you in front of your father’s eyes and he didn’t even try to protect you.

You once tried to talk to him about it… You still can remember the burning sensation of the slap that turned your face strong enough to throw you over your knees on the ground.

_“Erik is a good man, the man I wish your mother had given me instead of a useless beautiful sculpture that serves only to be admired and nothing more! I would be proud to have him as my son! So don’t you dare to question his actions when he is not doing more than what a man should do; instead of it, care of your own behavior to not to attract this kind of harsh action from him. If he is trying to put you in your place, that’s because you’re out of it!”_

You never complained again.

After this, all you did was enjoy the moments Erik wasn’t around trying to force himself as a suitor, courting you with whatever he could to try to get from you more than your disgust and contempt.

And Ubbe didn’t miss this little detail. As soon as your father’s men left with Erik and his escort, the king leaned himself towards you, speaking in a low voice, just for you to hear.

**_“It is just me, or you don’t like Earl Erik as well?”_ **

There was a smile on his face and he waved at your father’s caravan when you looked at him. But again, his eyes were betraying him and telling you the truth about his feelings. And so, your eyes seemed to feel they had the right to betray you as well.

Ubbe’s expression frowned. Did he saw fear in your eyes?

 ** _“Earl Erik is… my father’s best friend and companion. And I thank the gods he’s here since the gods didn’t bless my father with a son.”_** You started, not looking straight to his eyes.

But Ubbe wasn’t a boy anymore. He was raised around kings and earls. He knew how to read the lines between the lines. He knew you were afraid, sad, scared.

 ** _“He’ll probably become the heir of these lands as well…”_** which means marry you.

A problem that Ubbe could gladly solve…

 ** _“Maybe… Maybe not,”_** he said, causing your face to rise with a surprised look at his playful expression **_“Who knows what the gods might have in their pockets for us, my lady?”_**

You smiled.

In years, it was the first time you smiled a bright and natural smile, receiving Ubbe’s smile back and his warm fingers on your chin once again.

_His touch was so good… So different… So warm…_

**_“You still didn’t show me your castle, lady (Y/N)”_** he mumbled, almost inviting you to take him into a touristic ride through your home. **_“Neither the lands around… Without your father around to solve the subjects I came for, I think it would be pretty good to have time to know the lands under my crown. Would you please give me the pleasure of your company and guidance in this ride?”_**

You blushed, causing him to smile again. He was so easily making you red! It wasn’t fair! But you just couldn’t avoid smiling to a man so gentle and sweet as he was being with you.

 ** _“Allow me to say you’re naturally beautiful, my lady, but you manage to be even more when you’re smiling”_** and there it was: blushed and red as a tomato, getting a beautiful laugh in his hoarse voice that almost mesmerized you.

You felt you could do anything funny, just to hear that beautiful laugh once again.

Gods… _You were falling in love with the king…_

A totally impossible love, but such a good sensation! Maybe the gods were giving you one last chance to live before Erik was able to kill you once and for all with a marriage ring that would be worse than cut your own finger. And if they were giving it to you, you would gladly accept the gift.

 ** _“It would be a pleasure to accompany my king through the lands and wherever he wants me to go with him,”_** you said, causing his laugh to become a beautiful curve in his lips.

Those amazingly blue eyes again reflecting the warm desire he didn’t even try to disguise when looking at you.

You two walked to the stable, where you ordered the thralls to properly feed and care his horse. But when you were ready to give the orders for them to settle a horse for you, he mounted his own, extending his hand in your direction.

 ** _“There is no need of a second horse. Let me help you, my lady.”_** He smiled **_“You guide the travel, let the horse under my hands.”_**

Erik would want his head if he could see the easy way he was having anything from you. How many times he had invited you to ride his horse with him and received an educated denial in an answer? But to Ubbe? _You didn’t even think._

He helped you to sit in front of him, adjusting you sideways in a way both of your legs were on the same side of the horse and your body was almost reclined on his chest. If you leaned your head aside, you would lay it over his shoulder. And he smiled with this possibility.

That cedar scent taking everything around you with his body so close of yours now.

One of his hands touched your waist, keeping you safe from the horse movements, and he started at a sweet pace, slow, so you could show him and talk about everything around the castle. You two walked around the principal points of your homelands, and you showed him the small center of the town, the farms around, the beautiful spots of your lands until the ride finished into a frozen lake with a tree you used to like to hide into when you were a child.

Your favorite secret place in the universe. _Somehow you felt you could trust him with your secrets._

But not every secret. You couldn’t tell him the truth… Your fear was greater than that. Your fingers touched the tree and the entrance to the roots you were now too tall to reach. And Ubbe came from behind you, looking at the place as if you were two children looking into a forbidden place.

 ** _“I used to hide here when I was a child. Now is impossible to go inside, but there is a small cave inside this roots,”_** You smiled. **_“I used to sit inside this tree and look at the sun on the horizon to remember my mother’s eyes and stories after she died”._**

 ** _“A hidden place,”_** he said, seeming to know what does it means to have a place to hide. **_“I used to search for these places with my brother Hvitserk when we were young and mother was too busy with my little brother Ivar’s conditions. We found a lot of secret places and beautiful caves in the woods. But one day I took him through the lake and the ice broke under our feet…”_**

You sighed, surprised and he smiled sadly.

 ** _“We fall under the ice. Hvitserk and I, we almost died that day. But a brave woman named Siggy saved us in exchange of her own life. I will never forget what she did for us. A brave woman indeed.”_** He said, looking at the frozen lake in front of the tree.

 ** _“I’m sorry to bring you bad memories, my king”_** you apologized, thinking maybe it wasn’t a good place to bring him, but he smiled.

 ** _“You didn’t. It wasn’t a bad memory after all. I miss my childhood, when the only things we needed to worry about were where to step and when the dinner would be ready”_** his voice sounded sweet, but tired ** _“The weight of being an adult is too heavy. I think maybe that’s why I want so bad to settle down and have my children.”_** His eyes turned to you once again, placid **_“Do you think about it, (Y/N)? Children and all those things?”_**

Again your eyes went to the ground. How many times you asked the gods to close your womb as they did to your mother’s? How many times you begged them to die giving birth to Erik’s first child, praying Lady Hella to give you a chance to escape from his terrible hands?

 ** _“I think… I must have my own children soon.”_** There it was.

The little pause you always make before telling a lie. Ubbe got this little tic of yours during the entire day you two spent together. Your voice always cracked before lying, like your mind was working in a way to marry the words in a perfect sentence to sound true.

He came near you, raising your face with his fingers once again; his placid blue eyes curious on yours.

 ** _“Your children would surely be as beautiful as their mother…”_** he said, softly caressing your jawline.

His touch was so good, so different from the touches you were used to feeling. Never ever a man had touched you so sweetly, so warmly. You close your eyes, feeling his warm fingers sliding through your skin. And in a few seconds, you could feel his warm breath caressing your lips. Your y/e/c eyes opened to find blues almost diving into them and he leaned his head forward, covering your lips with his, invading your mouth with his spicy flavor.

_Stealing your first kiss so softly, so different from what you thought it would be… So good…_

The kiss did not last long, but also Ubbe didn’t take a long distance from your face when he parted his lips from yours; his eyes were almost searching for your reaction to define what he would do next. You took a second feeling his taste disappearing slowly from your tongue; and your hand touched his bearded face, caressing his skin silently. Your eyes were locked one to another in a gaze that seemed unbreakable.

He reciprocated your caress touching your face the same way you were doing with his, and so you slid your hand through his skin towards his neck, hugging him closer, feeling when his hand touched your waist once again, but this time, to pull you against his body. He kissed you again and you forgot the time feeling his mouth against yours, his tongue exploring your mouth and teaching you how it was warm and sweet to be kissed by a man you wanted, to be touched when you wanted to feel someone’s fingers.

 _Your secret place now had a second meaning as good as the first one…_ And you ordered your senses to don’t forget a single second of that moment. You knew you would have a life of torture and disgust with Erik by your side – because your father would never allow you to marry the king he hated so hard – but at least, you would have the memories of Ubbe’s touches, scent, and flavor to comfort you until the gods decide to take you from your fate.

You two spent the entire afternoon together, trading kisses and caresses without a single word. And the following days were a paradise for you. From playing hide and seek in your castle to find the most beautiful places to make out together, Ubbe was everything you ever dreamed about a relationship. But the horns sounded at the end of that moon. And your father was back, with your nightmare in hazel eyes by his side.

However, their arrival was different from what you were expecting. Of course, as a simple daughter of an Earl, you never ever imagined your King would see you as more than a distraction for his days. He was sweet and lovely with you all that time, but you never expected his hand to embrace your waist when Erik looked at you, causing his smile to slowly disappear from his face.

 ** _“King Ubbe?”_** your father questioned, and you looked at Ubbe as surprised as everyone around were.

Your father’s eyes weren’t leaving Ubbe’s hand in your waist, but Erik’s eyes were on yours, directly, almost crushing your soul _. “Don’t make me think you’re choosing the wrong side”_ you remembered his threat.

Now he was sure you chose the side against him. And to be against Erik wouldn’t possibly mean something good.

**_“I now have more than only one subject to treat with you, my friend. I want to reinforce our bonds of loyalty and more than that… I wanna make your daughter Kattegat’s future queen”._ **

Your mouth almost fell from your face and hazels left your eyes to look almost furiously to Ubbe. If Erik wanted to kill him, now, it was almost stamped on his face he twisted into a smile almost gross, so fake it was. **_“I think I’ll have to frustrate your expectations, my king, but I was already treating about a marriage with my friend Bolduir for some time,”_** he said, acid.

And Ubbe just smiled. **_“Well, there was no ring in her hand when I arrived. And now…”_** he answered, pulling your hand softly into his after taking out one of his own beautiful rings from his fingers **_“If you allow me…_** ”he said, looking at you when his fingers softly slid the ring through your finger, causing Erik to shiver in anger when he kissed the metal piece in your hand. **_“Don’t worry, Earl Erik_** ” Ubbe smiled, with an emphasis on the word “earl” that Erik hated so bad.

_They never called themselves less than kings…_

**_“I’m sure there will be many other women to marry in this beautiful place. And after all, you and Bolduir are long-dated friends, I’m sure Bolduir will not deny you his lands or a good alliance when his life comes to an end. I’m a king. I have no need of your lands, my friend, and no interest in ruling them after my future father in law has passed. It would be good to know them in good and trustful hands, to be honest. I’m sure my friend Bolduir will be pleased to know it as well, am I wrong?”_ **

He was expressing the willingness to marry you without any right to the lands your father used to be so proud of having in his hands. Giving Erik the entire possession of them after your father’s death and showing interest in nothing but your hand.

You were sure Erik was about to explode a ball inside his trousers… And your father didn’t know where to hide his face. His eyes were jumping from Erik’s to Ubbe’s while he was speechless. It was a king wanting to marry his daughter. A bastard, disgusting and betrayer king, but even then a king.

Erik felt his insecurity and his lips motioned, pursing annoyed before he licked his upper teeth and forced a smile. **_“We should go inside to discuss it. Don’t you think, my friend?”_** he said, looking to your father who swallowed dry.

 ** _“Indeed, indeed. Come, King Ubbe, let’s… Let’s have a proper conversation inside. Maybe some mead… (Y/N) bring us mead!”_** your father ordered and Ubbe released your waist, kissing the corner of your lips and whispering something in your ear before leaving with your father, causing Erik to toughen up in tension even more than he was already.

The intimacy between you two was causing his stomach to roll inside his belly, but even more, the blushing of your cheeks was infuriating him. For years he tried a single smile, and now that bastard, cursed king was having what he wanted, passing through your walls like it was fucking easily than crush a flower! In years, he never felt so furious.

And you could feel it in the air. You could feel it in the aura that came from him when his steps crossed the way beside you going into the hall after your father and Ubbe. But he stopped a single moment, just to leave harsh words to your ears.

**_“Enjoy this moment, sweet bird… Enjoy and memorize it. Take it into your memory as a treasure, cause after what he did, I’ll have pleasure on ripping his heart out of his chest and give it for you, my sweet snake, as a gift for this poisoned bite”._ **

His words almost crushed your heart inside your chest.

You feared Erik.

More than anything in your life, you feared him and the death you saw in his eyes for your entire life. Something on you kept repeating he would be the death of your father and yours. Something in his eyes keeps repeating death was always dancing with him.

And you didn’t want that dance.

However, when you followed them into the room, you saw your father different.

**_“And so she would be by your side. If I got it well, you would come back in a year to put my daughter in queen Aslaug’s place, is that it?”_ **

Erik wasn’t talking. He was furiously drinking from his cup of mead while Ubbe and your father were friendly solving everything about what would be your marriage with the king. And your father seemed to be more and more in agreement with Ubbe, charmed by the idea of his daughter occupying the throne that, one day, was from Ubbe’s mother, the legit queen of Kattegat, Aslaug Sigurðadottir.

At the end of that night, everything was placed and you were officially Ubbe’s fiancée. A small feast was served on the castle to celebrate and Erik spent the entire feast mutely looking from you to your father as if he was trying to figure out how sharp his knives had to be to dismember your bodies piece by piece and serve to the King when he comes back from his travelling through the North.

With everything solved and settled, Ubbe prepared his departure to the next morning and started his journey with the sunrise, saying his good-bye to you and your father under the eyes of an annoyed Erik, already ready to leave as well.

You still couldn’t believe that dream was really happening in your life. Ubbe caressed your face, kissed your forehead and softly pecked your lips.

 ** _“I’ll be back in around a year. And so, you shall be queen, my love.”_** He said, softly.

His blue eyes filled with love when he looked at you one last time before guiding the horse to the road. In a year, your beloved Ubbe would be back. In a year, your beloved king would be here for you. You touched the ring he left in your finger, dreaming with his return when his horse didn’t even have disappeared into the horizon.

But your smile vanished from your face at the same moment it formed into Erik’s surprised expression when your father’s words echoed from behind your back, stabbing you in the heart and causing you the will to start running and screaming towards Ubbe’s horse as loud as you could.

**_“We’ll prepare your marriage with my daughter for tomorrow. Now there is no time to lose”._ **

Erik raised his eyebrow and your father looked at him, not understanding his surprise.

**_“I gave him his best stay. I even gave him something to be distracted with. Now is time to be back to our plans. Let the king dreaming about his marriage and let’s keep preparing our thrones.”_ **

It was a lie.

Your father lied to Ubbe, even to you. Your eyes filled with tears and you started running towards the entrance of your castle, uselessly trying to flee, to reach the horse that was already so far away from your reach.

Your voice even echoed in a scream your king couldn’t hear before Erik hugged you by your waist, painfully pressing your body against his and covering your mouth with his free hand, tilting your head back to speak in your ear.

 ** _“Did you memorize everything, sweet bird? Cause now, I’m one step closer to your beloved king’s heart, warm, still beating in your hands…”_**.

You squealed against his palm, crying. Your body shaking with your sobs when you close your eyes, remembering Ubbe’s sweet voice in your ear, whispering the sweetest words that now you were begging the gods weren’t a lie.

_“I told you. I’ll save you from this and make you my queen”._


	4. Queen in the North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Triggering content

You never felt so lost.

Erik had held you under his hands until Ubbe’s image disappeared on the horizon. You were still marked by the terrible fight you put against his fingers when he made your thralls to put you into your mother’s wedding dress.

The beautiful dress you thought would be yours in the most sublime moment of your life. Placed in front of the mirror, you saw each piece of that dress being mounted and your hair being brushed, your appearance changing, until you looked like the most beautiful pearl in the snow of the North.

But your eyes were empty.

The color in your iris had disappeared and your face was wet all the time. It doesn’t matter how many times the thralls had dried your face, there was always some new tears rolling down as if your soul was disappearing drop by drop, trying to flee for the terrible fate your body was locked into.

After you were ready, Erik came into the room, looking at you with a bright smile on his face, raising your face towards his, obligating you to see him.

You were barely moving for more than blinking, but when one of his thralls tried to take away Ubbe’s ring from your hand, you closed it looking furiously to the woman.

 ** _“Don’t you dare to touch it!”_** You yelled, causing the thrall to become little.

Something inside of you was still fierce. Something inside of your chest wasn’t totally dead. And Erik took your hand in his hands brutally pulling it, hurting your body to look at the ring in your finger.

For a second, you thought he would cut out your finger with the ring, but he just caressed the jewel in your hand, looking at you from near it, causing the shining of the metal to reflect in his damn cursed hazel eyes.

 ** _“I’ll let you keep it, as a sweet memory of what will never be yours. Someday this ring might be useful. Keep a piece of your king for when I rip his body into pieces this one can remain in the North.”_** he said, pushing your hand away ** _. “Now come. You’re beautiful and I don’t wanna spend the freshness of your perfume with this stupid conversation.”_**

His steps took the way to the door and your eyes found your own reflect once again.

You were so similar to your mother now… Did she felt this way on her marriage day as well?

 ** _“I said come.”_** Erik’s voice echoed again, threatening.

And you had no choice but following him into the principal hall of your castle.

Your memory remembering you of each laugh, each kiss, each moment you desired to last forever with your precious, gentle and kind king that refused to take you as his before you could really belong to him.

Oh, gods, how you wanted to have laid yourself with Ubbe. How you wanted your body to had belonged to your beloved king. Now, in a few hours, it would be stolen from you in a terrible way.

In a few hours, your world and your dreams would be destroyed.

In a few hours… Or a few minutes.

There was no feast, no guests, no reason for you to be on that dress but Erik’s sickness. There was only your father, some papers, and ink. The right over his lands and everything that made Erik his legit son in law was there to be signed and your father gave you the feather with an icy gaze in his eyes.

**_“Sign it. And do me the favor or bear him a child, a male child, before I go into my grave! At least I could think your useless mother gave me more than just disgust.”_ **

And there was your answer. She couldn’t be different from you. Who could be happy being married to a bastard like your father? Who could have been happy with a man who couldn’t thank the gods not even a single time for his food, his life, his lands, his wife… His daughter.

You signed the papers, but your eyes looked fiercely to your fathers and for the first time you saw him looking back into your (y/e/c).

**_“That’s where you are, in the end. And old fat envious boar that couldn’t handle the fact his prick wasn’t able enough to make a male child, selling your daughter’s womb after being the reason why the gods closed your wife’s. Faking to yourself that this bastard you call son in law is your own blood when you know he is here only for lands and a warm cunt. Betraying your king and all the vows you did to lay your head on your empty bed tonight hearing the screams of despair from a daughter you will have raped under your roof by a man you allowed to do it. You’re killing my dreams, father, as you did to my mother. And I might die under this monster’s hands, but I’ll be watching from Fólkvangr when your king comes to avenge me. Because unlike these two pigs I have around me now, Ubbe is a man and a man of word. He said he will come back and he will. And when he comes, I will gladly receive his sacrifice of blood. And I will gladly serve his mead and wait for his time to meet me on Freyja’s halls or claim me to his side at the Valhalla who awaits the men like him and rejects despicable creatures like both of you!”_ **

You never felt so empty. Your words took every weight you ever felt in your heart from your father’s contempt for you, every drop of guilt. It was never you.

It was him.

But your ears captured a clapping sound and you looked aside to see Erik’s sarcastic face while he was clapping his hands, applauding your words.

 ** _“Bravo!”_** he said **_“Wonderful wedding vows, my love. Did you wrote them for yourself or it just came into your mind right now? You’re amazing!”_**

His hands continued clapping, reducing its rhythm until the claps disappeared and only his disgusting smile remained. He walked forward one or two steps, touching your lips with his fingers, causing shivers of despair to go down through your spine.

 ** _“Fólkvangr… Freyja halls… Such a beautiful place. What makes you believe that a filthy whore like you could ever touch your toes on that clean and bright place? Uh?”_** he continued, bringing tears to your eyes on breaking your most minimum dreams or hopes with his meek ironic tone **_“Oh, no, no, no… Fólkvangr is for bright women, loyal warriors chosen by Freyja itself. And the Valhalla is not for disgusting, immoral, vicious traitors like your precious Ubbe, no…”_**

You took a breath to answer him and defend your king but he placed two fingers over your mouth, hushing your voice.

 ** _“Sh… Shh. You made your vows, my love. Now it is time for me to make mine. Listen, precious treasure, because you are right… Your dirty king will come back and when he comes I’ll be here, waiting to clean the world from his disposable existence. But until there…”_** he tilted his head; his steps pushing you against the wall, cornering you between the table and the wall. Your father doing nothing but put the papers you signed together like nothing was happening in front of his eyes.

**_“Until your beloved king comes back, your precious little body will be mine, sweet bird. And I will use you. I will satisfy myself from you until I’m tired of fucking your pretty warm cunt, as you said.”_ **

His hand slid through your face and you saw your father leaving the room.

You heard the door being shut behind his back and the thralls leaving.

And your eyes got wide when you noticed Erik wouldn’t even wait for you to be in your room…

**_“And I will start fucking you right here, as the filthy whore you are”_ **

His hand grabbed your hair causing you to squeak in a mixture of pain and despair. And he turned your body, throwing your torso violently against the table where the papers were before. His free hand pulled your waist behind forcing your body to bend and so he took your arm bending it until your hand was placed in front of your eyes. The beautiful ring Ubbe gave you still shining for you to see when you felt Erik’s hand leave your hair, destroying the dress behind your back, ripping it apart, touching your naked skin.

He slapped your ass cheeks making it burn. And so you felt his weight over your body.

He forced your hand against your face and mumbled on your ear before you could feel him forcing his cock against your virgin womanhood.

**_“Remember him, sweet bird. That’s all you will have from your precious Ubbe now: memories… Nothing but the memories and plans I will crush, one… By… One”._ **

In a single push, he destroyed everything, making your voice echoes in the room in a strangled squeal. Your sore body started moving under his thrusts, shocking his hips against your ass, pushing, stretching, hurting…

You could hear him grunting, you could feel him sweating, moving, breathing.

Your eyes were frozen at the ring, lost, trying not to drown into tears while your memory was trying to travel to your tree. Your secret place and Ubbe’s arms… his kisses… his promises…

He would come back.

He needed to.

**_“You’re so fucking tight!”_ **

Erik’s pace became intense and so your cry under his body when, in a few more thrusts, he pushed himself strongly and entirely, spilling his disgusting seed in the depths of your body.

The sobs took you when you felt his body collapsing over yours; his panting breath causing you nausea when hitting your naked neck.

You moved underneath him, trying to force his body out of yours, but he just pushed you stronger against the table.

 ** _“Who told you we’re done, love?”_** his voice invaded your ears, sharp.

And when he started thrusting once again, you knew your suffering would be long.

And so…

_You started praying._

–

When Erik finished, it was already morning again.

Your body was sore and tired, marked with his teeth, his hands and his seed all over your skin.

No one dared to get inside that room.

No one dared to help you.

And no one dared to question when he opened the door, leaving as if he hadn’t raped your body for hours, destroying all the beautiful dreams you had built for that moment.

You slid to the ground, covering yourself poorly with the rags of your mother’s dress, and cried for a long time. Your fingers tightly pressing the ring of your beloved king in your hand.

You weren’t dignified of him anymore. Erik has taken everything from you. But even then, you would find a way to frustrate his plans and warn Ubbe of what they were planning.

You dragged your wounded body to the nearest wall and used it as support to get on your feet, walking slowly and poorly to your room. You locked the door dismissing any thralls.

Slowly you filled your bathtub with water and some herbs to help with your pain. You left your mother’s ripped dress on the ground and dove your sore body into the water covering yourself completely, resting on the bottom of the tub where not even the sound could reach you but the few bubbles leaving your nose to disappear at the surface of the water. You learned, with the fights of your parents, how to spend a lot of time without breathing underwater, just because you didn’t want to hear them screaming or your mother being beaten.

So you lost yourself in your thoughts, looking at the surface of the water, thinking about what you would do to blow Erik’s plans…

But you took too long and one of the thralls thought your locked door could mean something. So he called his master, like a good dog, barking to any shadow of danger around his owner.

Erik broke your door kicking it down. In one second you were staring the beautiful empty surface of the water; in the other, Erik’s face appeared on the water mirror and his hands went into the bathtub, pulling you violently out, throwing your body on the ground, causing all your pains to come back at once.

He was so furious…

 ** _“Oh, don’t you dare to try it! Don’t you ever dare to try it! Did you listen to me?”_** he yelled, gripping your hair again, shaking your body to force you to look into his hazels

 ** _“I was just… bathing… I…”_** you tried, whimpering.

 ** _“I know exactly what you were doing, you bitch! No! Did you listen to me? You will not flee from me or try to kill yourself! You’re my property and I decide if you live or die! If I want you to die, I will decide how! You belong to me (Y/N)!”_** he yelled again.

 ** _“I wasn’t trying to kill myself! I was just bathing!!”_** you yelled.

And so his hand found your face, heavy, slapping hard as once your father did because of him.

He raised you by your neck, looking to your burning face and the purple mark that was forming on your jawline.

 ** _“You… will never lock a door once again, did you hear me, love? Doors open from now on. And I want one of my slaves by your side on each of your bathes. A male one, just to be sure that he will be strong enough to force you out of the water if necessary. SATYR!”_** he yelled his favorite slave…

The one you hated the most.

**_“Follow her. Wherever she goes. And if she tries to kill herself, prevent her to do it. By any necessary means!”_ **

He nodded and from this moment on, you weren’t alone anymore.

Satyr followed you the entire day, walking around you to wherever place you wanna go. Erik dragging you to his bed whenever he wanted and for the entire nights, fucking your body senselessly, hurting you every night for you to try to heal in the time between.

Your life was a mess and after the first months, you were almost mute. Your body was skinny and you were tired. Your shame disappeared: to be naked wasn’t a problem anymore. You knew Satyr had already seen everything and your husband didn’t have problems about fucking you in front of his eyes so what was the matter?

Six months had passed and no sign of Ubbe back on the horizon or any means for you to destroy your father’s and Erik’s plans. You were starting to become hopeless.

Your eyes have lost completely their color, but in exchange, your skin had earned purple tones all over your body where Erik used to press too much.

Or from the spankings.

You were really thinking about taking your life now. Maybe running into the iced lake under your tree. Satyr would never be able to reach you before the ice was broken under your feet or, with some luck, he would be dragged by the cold water with you and die as well.

 ** _“What do you look so intensely at this lake, love?”_** Erik’s voice came when you were seated at the margin of the frozen lake under your tree.

 ** _“Mother used to tell me stories under this tree,”_** you said, **_“It is a special place from my childhood.”_**

You knew that hiding would be worst.

**_“Living from past. Tsk. Come. We have visitors”._ **

You followed him, ready for more of that stupid rebellion against the crown that was already being spoken in open mouths inside your house. Earls were coming from all the north to talk about the idea of separating the North or taking the crown. There were so few people loyal to your beloved king…

But this time it wasn’t a normal visitor.

 ** _“We don’t care, Ármóðr!”_** your father’s voice came and the name called your attention. **_“They’re a bunch of brats and the North needs a real leader!”_**

Earl Ármóðr, your uncle, half-brother of your mother you didn’t see long ago. A loyal man, who told you a lot of King Ragnar’s stories and how he went to the lands of England besides the king.

When your eyes found him, he knew something was wrong.

**_“Sweet (Y/N)… You look just like your mother”._ **

It wasn’t a commentary. It was a hidden message you got perfectly.

You were looking just like your mother: dying day by day as she was before you. However, you smiled at him, giving Erik what he wanted: a meek wife.

Your words giving your uncle more than your father and stupid husband could understand.

**_“It couldn’t be different, my uncle.”_ **

You had her same destiny and Ármóðr’s eyes went from you to Erik’s before he smiled again.

A bastard. Just like your father.

You served the meal for the guest and your family, serving all of them of mead. And your uncle could see the marks in your neck and arms while you were serving him.

But when you came with the mead he couldn’t avoid noticing the king’s ring in your finger.

 ** _“How did you get this, my niece?”_** he asked and you didn’t even need Erik’s gaze to lie.

You knew your uncle would see through the lie.

 ** _“A mere symbol of the king’s favor for he liked what he had when received in our lands. Nothing really important, my uncle”_** you said, satisfying Erik with your answer.

But your eyes seemed to have learned from Ubbe’s and were screaming the ring on your finger was pretty more than just his favor.

It was his love…

A love that your uncle could see into your eyes.

At the end of the lunch, your uncle stretched his back.

**_“It is a pity, but since you and I don’t agree, my brother, I’ll leave back to my lands. May (Y/N) take me to my sister’s tree? There is a time I don’t speak to her.”_ **

Your father just motioned his fingers and Satyr got up to follow you.

You and your uncle walked silently for all the way to that place, taking the horses by their reins, without mounting them, exchanging eye glares that slave couldn’t understand.

But your uncle knew he only had one chance to know the truth and you knew it would cost you dear.

You had one chance to warn your king. But it would cost your life.

Erik would never forgive your betrayal. But if your uncle could warn Ubbe, your life would have worth the price to save your beloved king.

So when you reached the tree, you started walking into the ice of the river.

Satyr looked at you, alert.

 ** _“Lady (Y/N), don’t make me force you to the margin. Lord Erik told me to use force to prevent you to get hurt if necessary.”_** his voice echoed, and you just continued, causing him to start walking towards you. **_“Lady (Y/N)! Come back here right n-”._**

His voice choked when your uncle’s blade cut his throat in a single strike.

Ármóðr’s eyes were on yours when the body of the slave reached the ground. You knew you haven’t too much time.

 ** _“What is he doing to you? What is that bastard doing to you, my dear?”_** he said, touching your face, but you took the ring from your finger, separating yourself from your best and warmest memory, putting in into your uncle’s hands and looking into his eyes.

 ** _“He loves me, uncle. And I loved him with all my heart. My only regret in this life was not to have belonged to my king when I had the chance. Take this ring and make it reach him. Tell our king what my father and my husband are planning. Warn Ubbe about what happened here and tell him to leave the North, go back to Kattegat and set up his army. There will be war and his life is in danger. Tell him, my uncle. Tell him.”_** your eyes were filled with tears.

 ** _“What about you, my flower?”_** he asked, and you smiled.

 ** _“I’ll find him in Valhalla, uncle. I’ll find him. Now go.”_** you pushed him towards his horse. **_“Go!”_**

He mounted.

You could already hear the noises of Erik’s horse, probably coming after you, annoyed you took so long to come back.

 ** _“GO!”_** you yelled, slapping your uncle’s horse, forcing him to leave you behind in a run for Ubbe’s life.

You grabbed the knife on Satyr’s body, but before you could cut your own throat with it, Erik jumped from his horse, holding your hand. Causing your cry to become a scream of frustration when he pressed your fingers against the cable of the blade, forcing you to let it go, almost breaking your fingers with the anger he pressed them.

His furious hazels saw your uncle’s horse going away and he twisted your hand, missing the ring in your finger.

 ** _“You filthy whore…”_** his voice sounded threatening, but you spat on his face.

**_“You traitor bastard! I hope Thor strike you dead and may Frey dry my womb before I can bare you a child, you monster!”_ **

He punched your face this time, causing you to fall dizzy in his arms. So he put you over his horse, running back home, throwing you into your room and screaming for his slaves to bring him chains.

**_“Chain this bitch to the wall! Arms and neck. Let her legs free to be open. Want you to be treated like a whore? So a whore you’ll be from now on!”_ **

He left, and you fought his slaves with all the strength you still have while they were chaining you to the wall of the room as he said them to do.

In the principal hall, your father was questioning Erik what was going on and without cutting his steps, he ordered some men to come with him, remounting his horse.

**_“The bitch you call daughter sent your brother in law to the king. I’ll go there clean up her mess and warrant she will not destroy everything! You were right and so was she: Your damned wife served for nothing but to birth a seed of disgrace! That snake will be confined to my room now and don’t you dare to release that bitch!”_ **

**_“Why should I? Go, before Ármóðr ends up fucking everything! Go!”_** your father pushed him and Erik left with some men after your uncle.

The hours passed slowly and the night was already high when he came back, breaking into the room and rolling Ármóðr’s head to your feet, filling your eyes with thick tears when he pushed your head towards your uncle’s dead eyes.

 ** _“Look what you made me do!”_** Erik yelled ** _“From now on, you’re not my wife. You’re my whore. My slave. And I’ll be sure to make you suffer the worst this world can offer. Look closely at this dead eyes, (Y/N). Soon it will be Ubbe’s eyes in front of you!”_** he said, kicking Ármóðr’s head and clenching his hands. **_“Now, this is for betraying me, you damn bitch!”_**

From the first punch forward, you felt your heart empty of hope. The more your mouth was filled with blood, the more you felt the words vanishing from your tongue. There was no hope and no god was listening to your prayers.

You were lost, just like your uncle. And soon, Ubbe would be lost as well.

–

_In the middle of the north, two weeks later…_

The sound of horse hooves caught Ubbe’s attention and he looked behind to see a young man over a white horse, coming like an arrow through the road.

He passed through him running as if the world depended on his mission, leaving Ubbe behind in his slow trot, worried with what could be making that man run so fast.

However, before he could disappear on the horizon, the horse made a turn and the man came back, stopping and rounding Ubbe’s horse before stopping in front of him.

 ** _“Name the three kings of Kattegat,”_** the man said, snooty, causing Ubbe to look at him curiously.

 ** _“Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Ivar Lothbrook”,_** he said, **_“And who is questioning?”_**

But the man ignored his question, questioning over it, and so Ubbe understood it could be a code, giving the man’s words a little more of attention.

 ** _“And how are they known through the world?”_** the man said, waiting for his answer.

 ** _“The Quiet Beast, The White Shirt and The Boneless”_** he answered, looking into the men’s eyes.

There wasn’t in his words the names for what they were being called between the rebels. The man’s shoulders became tense and he sighed, begging the gods he was talking with the right man.

 ** _“The noble Earl Ármóðr, from the Northern lands of Albedar, my master, has a message for his king. What is your name, young man?”_** he asked.

Ubbe straightened his horse, looking at the panting man in front of him.

 ** _“I’m Ubbe Ragnarsson, The second son of Ragnar Lothbrok, King of Kattegat by my birthright, first between my brothers. And the recipient of your message,”_** he answered, extending his hand to the man to receive a small parchment written in a poor calligraphy of someone who wrote as fast as it was possible.

_“All hail King Ubbe, All hail the Lothbroks._

_Sadly I won’t be able to see my king’s glory once again since this message will reach your hands while I will be probably feasting with your noble father if the gods allow me to._

_From the last Earl loyal to your highness at the North, I beg the gods this warn can reach you…”_

Ubbe’s eyes were running through those lines in disbelief. He was with Ármóðr not long ago and now that letter said he would probably be dead by now?

_“The Earls in the North aren’t making true vows. They are rebelling against the crown and my brother in law Bolduir and his son in law Erik are now the leaders of this riot. They intend to claim the crown by war and sealed alliances behind my king’s back even marrying my niece with this bastard they intend to settle on my king’s place. (Y/N) will probably be suffering the consequences of her brave actions of loyalty telling me all that happened since you left her kingdom so I could warn you, my king._

_Here is the ring your highness gave her as a proof of our loyalty and the reality of these cruel words. Believe us, my king, your life is in danger and so is the crown._

_Come back to Kattegat and prepare for war and may the gods make you stronger to defeat all your enemies and crush their terrible intentions._

_If it’s not too late by the moment this message reaches your highness, I beg you for my niece’s life. I die with honor and pleasure, serving your noble highness with loyalty until the end of my days.”_

Near the signature, over the seal of wax, there was the ring he gave to (Y/N) as a symbol of their love now broken by that terrible news.

She was married with that bastard Erik and worse than that, suffering for her loyalty in the middle of so many snakes; her father mislead him and he fell like a fool.

Ubbe grunted in anger looking at the young messenger dressed as a slave.

**_“What is your name, young boy?”_ **

**_“I’m Ully,”_** the young man answered and so Ubbe touched his shoulder.

 ** _“You’re a free man now, Ully. Take this with you and go back to Kattegat as fast as your horse can run. Tell my brother Hvitserk to prepare for war and show him this when you ask to talk to him. He will know it is a true message from myself”_** he said, giving Ully a necklace Hvitserk once gave him as a protection and a bag of gold for the travel. 

His brother would recognize the piece with no mistake.

 ** _“As my king commands.”_** the boy said, taking the necklace and the gold and leaving at the same accelerated pace he arrived.

Ubbe turned the horse back, leaving at the same pace.

He remembered to have seen some crows at the nearest farm and for some gold coins, the woman from that farm allowed him to send one of them addressed to Ivar.

He watched the crow flying in the air before his eyes could reach the metal ring back in his finger.

He knew he should go back to Kattegat and remaining in the North was too risky. But his precious (Y/N) wouldn’t be there for him if he waited that long.

He pressed the ring in his hands and kicked his heels on the horse, causing him to start running at a faster pace towards Bolduir’s castle.

He would rescue his precious (Y/N) even if he had to start stopping the rebellion in the north by killing her father and that bastard that dared to steal her from him first.


	5. Unexpected

A month has passed since your life became nothing but a living hell.

Your body was in constant soreness. And you couldn’t remember when was the last time you used more than a torn nightgown.

You still could hear the sounds of Erik’s moans and grunts or feel your body moving under his, but nothing was making any sense for you anymore.

He released himself one more time, sighing almost frustrated when getting up to dress while you were dragging yourself closer to the wall where your chains were attached, to give your arms chains enough for you to reach your nightgown and cover your bruised legs.

 ** _“You’re becoming boring,”_** he said, sighing again _. **“The slaves treat me better.”**_

 ** _“You should lay with them if they please you more. It would be a favor,”_** your voice echoed low.

There was still some life on you and maybe it was just the reason why Erik was yet in your room. But you never learned how to give up completely, even though you knew there weren’t any more hopes.

_Not for you._

But yet, your heart was betting on Ubbe and the crown’s strength. You would die, for sure, before being able to see that war ending, but you were betting all your coins on Ubbe’s ability to overthrow your father and Erik by himself.

Erik, on the other hand, was completely sure of his success. So sure that he had been stupid enough to confess his intentions of betraying your father as well.

He wanted the crown of Kattegat in his own head and he was only using your father to reach it. As his son in law and legit heir, he would receive the crown as soon as your father was dead. And you knew he was intending to accelerate the process after the crown was taken.

_“Nobody will miss the old pig”._

In fact, he was right.

But you could have warned your father if he had ever come to see you after your marriage.

He had forgotten your existence inside Erik’s room, just asking him from time to time if you had bleed since you two got married, worried only about the lineage you were supposed to give to his blood.

But you would bleed.

You had been hitting your own belly every single time Erik left that room, trying to warrant his despicable offspring would never find a nest in your womb. You would bleed, not even if you had to punch yourself to death, you would bleed.

And it was exactly what you were doing when the horns sounded outside of your castle announcing another visitor. You didn’t stop or minded the sound.

Earls from the other lands of the North were coming from time to time to finish the preparative to the attack they were intending.

It should be only another bastard with some more men to Erik’s army.

However, some few moments after the horns had sounded, Erik broke into the room; his eyes were pure fury and anger and he rose you up by your neck, pressing it until cutting the flow of air to your lungs; his hand was trembling and in all those years you didn’t remember to see him so furious.

 ** _“It is your fault, you bitch. If anything goes wrong because of it, I will kill you, slowly, the most painful death I can imagine for you! Whore!”_** he said, launching your body against the wall, walking around the room as a jailed animal **_“If he is here, then your damn uncle was able to warn him for sure! You fucking bitch!”_**

His feet hit your belly so strong that you were now sure you would bleed on the next month without a single doubt. The pain rooted in your body causing you to shrink around yourself.

But he wasn’t satisfied.

You barely understood what was going on, so you tried to hear his words, paying attention to more than the excruciating pain his kick had provoked.

 ** _“Years! Years of preparation and you might have destructed everything or, at least, made everything fucking harder for me in a damn pair of weeks!”_** he kicked you again.

This time your stomach was the target and you felt the blood taste spread in your mouth, causing you terrible nausea.

 ** _“If he was warned then surely he warned that useless brother he has in Kattegat, which makes everything harder, but not impossible.”_** he started thinking in loud voice and so your mind started to understand what was going on. **_“We gonna need a bigger army…”_**

Erik’s voice kept echoing his thoughts and plans but your eyes went to the door.

_“If he was warned…”_

_“If he is here…”_

_He…_

_Ubbe was back._

Ubbe was back into your castle. But why?

Why he came back?

He was supposed to be safe, in Kattegat!

He was supposed to have gone!

He was in danger!

 ** _“Ubbe…”_** you mumbled, feeling the blood in your mouth telling you that something went really wrong with Erik’s last kicks and you were really hurt inside this time. Even then, you dragged yourself towards the door, trying to raise your voice and scream as loud as you could, in a desperate trying to reach your king’s ears. **_“UBBE!!”_**

But Erik’s hand got you by your hair and he hit your head against the floor before raising your face towards his once again with a sick gaze in his eyes.

You knew death was looking at you from them.

 ** _“I should have killed you when I had the chance,”_** he said, sliding one of his fingers through the blood that was dripping from your wounded forehead, staining your skin in red **_“Nothing I can’t solve right now…”_**

You felt the first punches and so you knew you wouldn’t see the outside of that wooden door once again.

_–_

**_“I’m not asking. I’m ordering you to bring her here, or tell me where she is, and I suggest you fulfill the order you received from your king, Bolduir. You will not want me to force myself in.”_ **

Ubbe’s furious voice echoed in that hall.

There was a long time since he felt so angry; his wide blues looking into Bolduir’s eyes, causing the old boar to tremble over his legs. Where was Erik when he needed him?

 ** _“She’s terribly sick, my king. We… We have been kept her inside her own room since it happened, but… It is not safe for you to…”_** Your father started, but Ubbe just tilted his head aside, looking at him like a hungry wolf would look at a fat boar.

**_“Cut the bullshit.”_ **

The thin sound of Ubbe’s sword being pulled caused Bolduir’s spine to shiver entirely. And the blade pointed to his throat wasn’t something he was expecting after all. But the ring on Ubbe’s finger was enough for him to know that his lies wouldn’t serve for anything anymore.

_He knew everything._

**_“I saw the tree she loved, burned, broken. I saw the fear on your slaves’ faces when they first saw me coming back into your lands. I only regret I wasn’t able to see through your lies when I had the chance, you damn pig, now tell me where she is or I swear I’ll open your swollen belly right here!”_** Ubbe growled, furiously.

Bolduir raised his head ready to have some few drops of bravery and face that spoiled prince in front of him when the voice of a slave girl echoed from the entrance of the hall to the rooms.

 ** _“Lord Erik is with her inside their room,”_** she said attracting Ubbe and Bolduir’s attention.

 ** _“You bitch!”_** Bolduir said and the other slaves tried to make her shut, afraid of the consequences, but she pushed all of them, screaming.

 ** _“No! It is not right! He’s…”_** she was struggling to talk and Bolduir took the opportunity to go against Ubbe trying to disarm him, but the boy was younger and faster than him and the old Viking ended up laid on the ground, over his back, with Ubbe’s sword against his neck.

The king just nodded negatively.

**_“Don’t try it again or I’ll forget about the time I don’t have and I’ll kill you, Bolduir. This is your second and last warning.”_ **

His fierce blue eyes went to the slaves and his hoarse voice ordered them to release the girl so she came close to him, crying.

**_“Lord Erik forced her to marry, my king. And he has been forcing her since then. Lord Bolduir doesn’t allow us to go there or do anything to help her, but Lord Erik has been hurting Lady (Y/N) since the day you left. He even ordered the slaves to cut, break and burn her mother’s tree, he destroyed her mother’s dress and has been rapping her everywhere around the castle. I can’t take it anymore.”_ **

**_“You treacherous snake!”_** Bolduir grunted and the slave girl cringed near Ubbe, who just placed his hand over her shoulder.

 ** _“Go out and saddle a horse for me and another for you. You belong to me now.”_** he raised his eyes to the other slaves **_“And whoever who touches her will be considered an enemy of the crown. Now get the hell out of my way”_** he growled, pushing all of them aside, getting through the hallway, searching for the room the couple was dividing now.

But he didn’t have to search too much. Some characteristic sounds called his attention and he stood in front of a door from where the noises were coming.

One hit after another, Ubbe’s heart filled with fury and he kicked the door down to find out what his mind could never absorb entirely: on the ground, you were laid motionless. There were bruises everywhere in your hands, arms, and legs and he could bet your entire body was marked where he couldn’t see.

Erik’s hands and feet were stained in your blood and he still kicked you one more time before turning himself to Ubbe, open arms looking at him.

 ** _“Welcome back, your majesty!”_** he said, sickly; smiling ironically.

For a second, your lack of movements made Ubbe think he had come too late and it just filled his heart with an explosive fury that drove him over Erik with all his strength, hitting and hurting Erik’s face and body as much as he could.

But everything that bastard was doing was laughing. Each punch or kick just made Erik laugh louder. And when Ubbe was finally tired of spanking him, he turned to you; his wounded hands he had hurt on Erik’s face-bones taking your body from the ground, bringing you into his arms.

 ** _“(Y/N)… Answer me, my love. I’m here… I came back for you,”_** he mumbled, trying to make you answer, getting nothing but your gaze and your fingers on his face.

A sweet curve on your broken lips.

 ** _“Finally,”_** you mumbled, almost a whisper, **_“I thought… I would never die”._**

He wanted to say you weren’t dead.

He wanted to hold you in his arms and beg forgiveness for being such a fool and leaving you behind.

But Erik’s laugh found his ears once again.

 ** _“Take her…”_** he said, spitting one of his teeth and the blood in his mouth, trying dizzily to stand up again **_“This filthy whore is already ripped and useless. It has no use for me anymore.”_** he spat towards you and it was enough.

Ubbe didn’t want to give them a reason. But it has gone too far.

He placed you softly on the ground and pulled his sword sinking it on Erik’s throat in a single movement, pushing his body back until his back hit the wall.

Ubbe’s hands kept pushing the blade, slowly sinking it until the guard, piercing Erik’s body on the wall, enjoying the surprise in his hazel wide eyes and the strangled sound his throat made before he was totally lifeless.

Bolduir watched the scene terrified from the door and so Ubbe pulled the sword from Erik’s throat, letting the body fall and pointing the bloody blade towards him.

**_“Tell the north their king is no fool! If you want war, then there will be war. I will leave now and none of you will try to stop me, or I swear there will be more death in this castle today. All my patience and benevolence is gone. I suggest you not to test me. But keep in mind, Bolduir: In the noble name of Earl Ármóðr and for the loyalty he devoted me with his life, I will come back. To avenge him and what you did to my queen. Enjoy the last days of your life, because your fate is sealed.”_ **

Ubbe’s words made Bolduir’s soul tremble inside his body.

He took you in his arms and still holding his sword, he left the castle, finding the slave girl with the horses already ready: his own and one for her.

 ** _“Gods… Is she alive?”_** the girl asked, horrified with your state, but Ubbe just nodded, mounting his horse and pulling you up with her help before she could mount by herself.

**_“Hear my words, Bolduir, son of Balkh: Your days and the days of the traitors in the North are counted!”_ **

He kicked his heels and the horse started moving away from the castle.

The slave girl did the same, fleeing from Bolduir’s rage.

However, the fear into Bolduir’s eyes was converted into fury as soon as Ubbe couldn’t see his eyes anymore. And he grabbed one of his slaves by his shoulder, furiously.

**_“Reunite all my slaves that can ride a horse.”_ **

The slaves were spread to the four corners of the North and beyond and soon many have heard about how King Ubbe had cowardly invaded an Earl’s house, killed his son in law and stole his daughter and slave.

The North was furious.

_There would be war._


	6. Path

The return to Kattegat wasn’t better than his arrival. To warrant your safety and his own, he didn’t stop until you were out of the borders of the North. But even then it wasn’t safe: to travel towards his own lands, he would have to spend pretty more time and cross pretty more counties before stepping on friendly lands.

Considering the entire North was enemy now, it wasn’t less than stupid to try crossing that distance, so he chose to pick another way, traveling through lands that weren’t his, but also, weren’t enemies. Unknown lands were better than the assurance of being attacked.

At the end of the second-day traveling horizontally, the three of you were out of the northern part of his lands, into woods covered in snow. Ubbe got down from his horse and sent the slave girl to erase their footsteps from the snow in order to mislead possible followers or trackers. He placed your sleeping body in some furs near a tree and started settling a campfire with some few supplies from his bags. When the fire was settled, he came to you.

You had slept the entire way since he brought you from your father’s castle. All he had time to do was clean the blood from your face and give you some water from time to time. But now, it was time to count your wounds and give them proper care.

Without waking you up, Ubbe uncovered parts of your body, using the fire and the furs to keep you warm while he was examining the wounds. You had wounds all over your body, some already showing signs of healing, telling him they weren’t recent; some already showing signs of infection from the lack of care.

You moaned in pain when his hand touched your belly, uncovering the sensitive skin, revealing the multiples bruises from Erik’s strikes. Ubbe had his jaw clenched in a silent fury. How could he be so stupid? How could he allow Bolduir and Erik to misled him that way and hurt you so bad that he could barely see your skin color under all those terrible bruises and marks? He could remember how innocent you were and the way he had waited for both of you to get married to have what Erik so violently stole from you. From him, either. Ubbe’s fingers came down to your thighs, uncovering the skin just enough to see the bruises of Erik’s violence coming down through the internal part of your legs.

His fingers covered your body once again; he didn’t have to see you entirely to know what Erik had done or how you were. Ubbe closed his eyes, anguished; and got up for some air, finding the slave girl coming back from the trees.

 ** _“The track is covered, master,”_** she said, pitifully looking at you. **_“If my master allows me, I took some liberties before we left”,_** she added, looking at his eyes with her head low.

She didn’t know if he would reprehend her for the attitude or take it as an act of good will, so she stood, waiting for his permission to bring what she stole from your father’s castle.

 ** _“What is your name, thrall?”_** he asked and she looked at him, meekly.

 ** _“Asta, my king”_** she answered.

 ** _“What have you done, Asta?”_** Ubbe’s voice sounded mild and so Asta went to her horse, picking up a little leather bag from her saddle.

She came closer, place the bag into Ubbe’s hands, and so he could see lots of leaves in a mixture he knew very well: Ivar had one of that leather bags filled with leaves as well, for his pains.

 ** _“I stole from lord Bolduir. To my queen’s pain, master. I know how to prepare some baths and teas for her to recover. Lord Bolduir forbade me from getting into her room since Lord Erik locked her in chains because he knew I would wether find a way to finish her pain or…”_** she lowered her head **_“or allow my lady to take her own life and run away from the terrible fate she was living into Lord Erik’s hands.”_**

A good thrall, after all, Asta seemed to be really touched by your pain and it was warming Ubbe’s heart about her.

**_“You’re a good woman, Asta. Your services will be very welcome in my hall. Prepare your beverages and the bath mixture. I won’t be able to allow (Y/N) a warm bath until we arrive in Kattegat, but I can use some cloth and the mixture to clean her body and help her to heal a little until there.”_ **

**_“Yes, my lord,”_** she said, obedient, starting to separate the leaves to prepare what Ubbe asked.

He came near your body and waited patiently, messing with his supplies. The dry meat was running low and he would soon have to hunt for the three of you to eat.

Asta didn’t take long to complete her chores, bringing the tea already warm for you to drink and the bath already with the clothes for him to use. Ubbe had to admit she was a really good acquisition. The girl was really a good servant.

**_“Thank you, Asta. Go take some rest and eat. I’ll care for (Y/N) and so I shall rest as well. The travel will be long.”_ **

With soft touches, Ubbe slowly tried to wake you up, carefully bringing your sleeping body up to his embrace, leaning your head against his chest.

The wooden scent bringing you good memories, slowly lulling your dreams into something good before you were able to open your eyes once again, finding deeply worried blues looking at you.

**_“My queen…”_ **

You smiled.

A wounded small curve, but even then, more than you had in months.

 ** _“My king…”_** you answered and your voice sounded like the wings of a butterfly against the wind: nothing but a whisper.

His fingers ran your face, caressing your tired skin, touching so gently where the violence of Erik’s desire had reached so brutally before. You leaned your face into his fingers and he came closer, touching your forehead with his. In a moment without words, you two exchanged touches and caresses, silently recognizing each other as if the world had ended entirely since the last time your eyes had met. And so his lips met yours in a soft touch first, then some few pecks before he felt your lips parting to his and covered your mouth with a passionate slow kiss, savoring your taste one more time, killing the thirsty in his throat for your flavor at the same time he gave his heart a little bit of comfort.

His precious queen was there, back into his arms, safe, alive; he couldn’t be more thankful.

You lost the count of time while your lips were touching each other, and you allowed yourself to relax completely into his embrace, feeling the way he was circling your torso with his arms, keeping you warm and supported against his chest.

It was so safe between his arms, so warm and so good. You mentally thanked the gods your dream was so beautiful.

A thin line of tears formed in your eyes and Ubbe felt them roll through your face, wetting his cheeks. But even then, he took the kiss until the end, holding your face against his neck after it, rocking back and forward with you, kissing your hair.

 ** _“I’m sorry, my king. I’m so sorry.”_** you said, sobbing against his chest **_“I fought to be stronger, I did everything I could to warn you. I tried the best I could. I’m so sorry.”_**

You broke into tears, hearing his voice hushing and feeling his embrace a little bit more involving.

 ** _“Don’t cry, my queen. I know you fought”_** he answered, thinking you were talking about Erik and all he had taken from both of you ** _. “I shouldn’t have left. It was my fault for trusting your father’s word. Never again, my heart. Never again I’ll leave you behind.”_**

His words called your attention and you rose up your face to look at him, touching his face with your fingertips.

 _“Never again,”_ he said. But how could it be “again” if everything was lost and both of you were dead?

Wasn’t that place the afterlife?

Didn’t Erik kill you? Wasn’t Ubbe here because their terrible plan had worked and they managed to kill him as well?

 ** _“Master, I made a broth with some roots and… Oh thank the gods, the queen is awake!”_** Asta came near and you recognized her face.

**_“Asta?”_ **

Was she dead as well? Wasn’t she the thrall Erik used to rape when you were too bruised or bleeding too much for him to have his way on you? Poor woman… She was so silent… The girl used to cry under him, silently taking your punishment over her to give you some time to rest. And now… Was she dead as well?

The number of questions in your mind started to reflect in your eyes and expressions and so Ubbe turned your face to his once again, touching his forehead on yours one more time, almost trying to serene your mind.

**_“Yes, she’s awake, Asta. And your broth will serve well. There are some cubes of salty rabbit meat on my saddle. Put it on your broth and when it is ready, bring me a portion for my queen.”_ **

The slave girl smiled so brightly.

**_“Yes, master!”_ **

She was so happy to see you awake! King Ubbe was a noble king and a kind man. She was afraid Lady Hella would take you to death and leave him alone after all you two passed together. But you were awake. Thanks to the Gods you were awake. She would remember to braid a crown of flowers to Lady Freya as a way to thank her for your life. For now, she obeyed Ubbe’s words readily, searching for the cubes of salty meat to add to the broth she had made and make it stronger to recover your strength.

You felt Ubbe’s nose nuzzling on the side of your face and you looked at him once again, confused.

 ** _“I know what you’re thinking, my love,”_** he started **_“And this is not the truth,”_** his voice was echoing placid and he just didn’t stop nuzzling his face on yours or caressing your skin as if his life depended of feeling your skin warm against his.

His forehead touched yours again and that beautiful deep blues opened into your eyes, clear, faithful.

 ** _“We are alive,”_** he said, confusing you even more. And so he raised his hand, showing your ring in his hand before he took it off and placed it slowly back on your finger as he did the first time, explaining the whole situation while your eyes were following the piece of metal you missed so hard being placed back on its place **_“Your uncle sent me a messenger before Erik could reach him. His messenger brought me a letter with the whole story and the ring you gave him as a proof of loyalty. You warned me, my love. Your brave actions weren’t in vain neither was the death of your uncle, that noble man. I sent his messenger to my brother Hvitserk in Kattegat and we are preparing for war with the North for our lands they intend to steal from us. I will take you to Kattegat where you shall be safe, and then we’ll come with an army to avenge your uncle and all your wounds and put the Earls of the North down on earth. And this is all because of you, my sweet loyal queen, in which I could trust my soul with no fear.”_** he said, looking at you.

Your eyes were pouring tears once again, thick ones this time. You did it… Your uncle didn’t die in vain. All your suffering wasn’t in vain: together, you saved your precious Ubbe and gave him a chance to finish that stupid rebellion and place some order on your homelands.

Your sweet memories of childhood were destroyed, the sweetest person after your mother in your life was brutally beheaded, but nothing was in vain.

You didn’t see the moment your arms threw themselves around Ubbe’s neck and you hugged him tightly, feeling his embrace around your sobbing body. The first tears of joy you were able to cry since it all began.

Asta brought the portion of broth that her king asked and softly smiled to the scene, seeing the way Ubbe was holding your body against his as if he was holding his entire world between his arms, caressing your hair, rubbing your back and nuzzling your hair with his face, smelling your scent he missed so bad.

She felt tears of relief in her face and mentally asked the gods if someday she would find such a pure and beautiful love for her as well.

If you could read her mind? You would tell her it was your most pure desire to her life after all the relief she brought to your body and the most she suffered for bringing it to you.

It was her own choice to bring Erik’s lust upon her. He gave her that option and she accepted it every time he made her choose between helping you or leaving without touching your wounds or being touched.

Every single time she chose to let Erik hurt her body in order to care for yours. She lost too much to protect you the more she could. That girl deserved the love she was dreaming about.

The one you found on Ubbe.

He held your tears until you were relieved and your sobs became only sighs. And so, he helped you to drink the beverage Asta made for you and eat the broth. Slowly, you were able to eat and drink everything she brought to you, but your body was still sore and hurt. Ubbe helped you to clean yourself with the herbs and Asta helped you with your clothes and some stitches. In the end, with their help, you were able to sleep and rest for the first time in months.

As soon as you fell asleep, Ubbe turned himself to Asta, offering her some furs and ordering her to sleep as well.

During the night, he mounted guard to watch while you and Asta were sleeping. With the dawn of the new day and both of you awake, he allowed himself to sleep a little beside you, leaving your sore body to Asta’s skilled hands, for him to take some rest before you could keep traveling.

And these became your days since you left Erik’s cursed hands: feeling Ubbe’s tender hands caressing your body and hair while you were sleeping at night; listening to Asta’s stories about what happened at the castle since Ubbe arrived while caressing his hair and sleeping face, waiting for him to wake up in the morning; riding all day towards Kattegat to stop and settle a new camp by the night.

Ubbe taught Asta how to shot the bow and hunt some rabbits, she told him how to not salt them too much, Ubbe told you lots of stories about Kattegat and his brothers.

Day by day, your homeland, and all your suffering became nothing but bad memories and past; and inside your heart, you wished that travel could last forever.

But at the end of three months, your horses reached a bay and Ubbe showed you the city at the border of the beach.

**_“We’re home.”_ **


	7. A Prelude of Wax

You never saw Kattegat before. Such a majestic city, so beautiful, with a large market near the docks where you almost got lost.

Thousands of people were walking around, dozens of boats were arriving, all of them with the same standard: red flags with a sun and a black vortex in the center. As if that black spot was sucking all the light of the sun into darkness and making the blood around come near the center staining the yellow light. You didn’t know those flags, but you have to say that it would have made you scared if a fleet of that magnificence arrived at your docks with a flag like that.

But Ubbe didn’t seem scared. He took you by your waist, keeping your body close to his and Asta by her hand.

Some thralls came for the horses and he walked to the docks, towards one of those boats: the bigger one.

Near that, a man was standing with a metal crown on his head and full leather armor. Helping another man to go down from the boat, this second one all dressed in black with a pair of full plate leg guards and a crutch.

Ubbe stopped near them and the second one, the dressed in black, looked at him with a sarcastic expression.

 ** _“Don’t even start,”_** Ubbe said before the man giggled, keeping the sarcastic and annoyed tone. **_“I said don’t!”_** Ubbe rose up his hand, but the man insisted on talking anyway.

 ** _“I told you so, Ubbe. I told you it was stupid to go alone into those lands. I told you it would end this way. You should have…”_** his words were cut by the crowned man who stopped them both by placing his hands over Ubbe and the other man’s chests.

 ** _“We shouldn’t be arguing now. Last time we argued, our enemies won. Ubbe was right, Ivar. We couldn’t go fully armed over men we wanted loyal to our crown. But also, Ivar was right, Ubbe. You risked too much going alone. Our differences don’t matter now. We must stick together and prepare to fight.”_** he said, wisely.

Both of them sighed, the man he called Ivar rolling his eyes annoyed.

_Ivar…_

The great Ivar, the Boneless.

And if that was Ivar, so the crowned one was Hvitserk the White Shirt.

You were looking to three of the sons of the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. It was impossible to help your eyes from widening up and Ivar didn’t miss it, looking straight at you.

 ** _“And she must be the girl… What is your name?”_** he asked.

You stammered to answer as if you were talking with Ragnar itself, but who could blame you? Ivar’s stories had reached the North and he became the only fear of the great majority of the Earls loyal to your father’s cause.

The man who was known for killing an older brother for a simple arguing.

You remembered Erik’s words about him…

_“A man who can do such a thing can do anything.”_

**_“I’m (Y/N), my king,”_** you answered with the same respect you had for Ubbe.

After all, the three of them were kings of what was Ragnar’s lands.

Your kings.

 ** _“Is it true that you’re the daughter of the one who’s leading the rebellion?”_** Ivar asked, still with that annoyed tone.

 ** _“Yes.”_** you answered, ashamed **_“It’s true. And I’m sor-”_** you started, intending to apologize for your father’s stupidity when he simply cut your voice, almost running over you.

 ** _“So you come with us. Everything she must know will be useful”_** he said looking to Hvitserk and Ubbe took a step forward.

You saw in his eyes he was offended and ready to defend you and he even started before you could say a thing.

 ** _“We all just arrived, Ivar! She had terrible times and must be tired! Didn’t you think about it?”_** he started, angrily, but you touched his arm, causing him to look at you.

 ** _“It’s fine, my king. King Ivar is right. We can’t lose time and I can tell you all everything I’ve heard from my father’s plans. The last thing I remember hearing from Erik’s mouth was that they had everything almost ready. If he was really right, they must be marching towards us while we speak: every second count. We shall have time to rest on each other’s arms until the last day of my life and I don’t want this war to shorten our times”_** you said, tenderly and the expression on Ivar’s face changed for you.

 ** _“It seems you finally learned how to choose a good wife, brother. Let’s go”_** he said, starting to walk in the faster pace that crutch was allowing him to.

Ubbe was deeply annoyed, but Hvitserk placed his hand over your king’s shoulder.

 ** _“She is wise, after all. Come Ubbe. I’ll send the slaves to settle your room so you can rest after the reunion. It is a pleasure to meet you, (Y/N).”_** he turned to you, friendliest than Ivar. 

And so his eyes turned back to what he had been looking for almost the entire conversation: Asta…

You noticed the way their eyes hooked each other and so you smiled when Hvitserk finally asked about her.

**_“And who is this beautiful lady that follows you here my dear soon-to-be sister?”_ **

Asta smiled and Ubbe took a breath to say she was a thrall, but you talked first, smiling.

**_“She’s my servant. Her name is Asta, my king. She’s a pretty close friend”._ **

Asta’s eyes got wide and Ubbe smiled, getting what you were doing and touching her shoulder softly.

 ** _“And a pretty good servant as well. She makes the best rabbits I’ve ever eaten, Hvitserk!”_** he said and Hvitserk’s eyes kinda shinned on her.

But she was still absorbing the information you and Ubbe just had given to her.

She was free now: a paid employee, a servant, no longer a slave. And you smiled at her when she turned to you.

**_“My lady…”_ **

**_“Would you please make them for us, Asta, my dear?”_** you asked…

Not an order. _An ask_.

She was really having a choice and so she smiled. The brightest smile you have ever seen on Asta’s face.

 ** _“It will be my pleasure to prepare the Kings’ dinner, my lady. May I?”_** she looked at Hvitserk who smiled back at her.

 ** _“If my brother says you make the best rabbits he ever ate, so I say my hunters will go out for fresh rabbits while we talk”_** he joked, offering her his hand.

She was pretty red when she accepted the king’s hand, walking by his side while Ubbe and you were almost giggling to each other.

 ** _“He’s totally hooked.”_** Ubbe said **_“When he eats her rabbits? We gonna have marriage soon.”_** he winked one eye at you and you giggled.

You followed to the hall with Ubbe and Hvitserk. Asta went to the kitchen with some thralls and Hvitserk ordered the hunters to find some rabbits for her. Even then, she helped the slaves preparing a beverage with some of the wine they had, spicing it with herbs to serve the table where the brothers were seated with you.

Hvitserk noticed it as soon as he first took the cup to his mouth looking at Ubbe and taking another sip from his cup, smiling at Asta who served him.

Ubbe was right, he was interested and the way she was dedicated to impressing him with her skills, you would lose Asta to Kattegat.

However, there were really important things to be treated on that table. You told Ivar everything you could remember from your father’s conversations with Erik and from Erik arrogant monologues when with you at that damned bedroom. Ubbe was proud of your strength in facing all those terrible memories and keep yourself straight. But as soon as all the information was given, you took part in the service of the table, helping Asta while the brothers were talking.

Ivar was silent for long periods of time while Hvitserk and Ubbe were confabulating with each other, trying to order the armies they had under them. However, you could see Ivar’s blue eyes rising from time to time to something Ubbe or Hvitserk was saying as if he was thinking by himself but listening to everything around him. Also, after a short time of conversation, one of his men came inside the room, whispering something into his ear before leaving. Ubbe didn’t seem too satisfied with this situation, but it wasn’t something he could change about Ivar’s habits, so he was starting to accept this trace of his brother’s arrogance with nothing more than a sigh.

After a long time, Ivar finally raised his hand and so his men brought him some pieces and a board with the map of their lands they placed over the table where Hvitserk and Ubbe could also see. They cut their conversation, looking at their little brother disposing the pieces over the table.

 ** _“(Y/N) said they fear me in the north. So the armies that will go to the north will be under my standard. I want them to think the entire great army is going after them. But we will place some men here, to keep Kattegat safe from backstabs.”_** he started, looking on Ubbe and Hvitserk’s faces that became interested almost instantly.

He curved his lips.

With time, both of his brothers started to understand he was the best strategist and he started to understand they were stronger than him at the battlefield. Hvitserk’s explosions were great distractions and Ubbe’s roars also could take good attention and really put down the moral of the enemy army. They could work together if they stop trying to take each other’s positions and since it worked for the first time, they were starting to work this way whenever they could.

 ** _“Hvitserk, you will leave with Ubbe to the North,”_** he said, and Hvitserk smiled.

His place wasn’t seated in a throne. He loved the fights and the blood spilling and finally, he would be able to fight with his brother once again.

 ** _“Ubbe, you know better the alternative way you made to reach here, and also you use the bow better than Hvitserk. I want you to take my archers here to flank their armies through here. And you Hvitserk will go up to the North through the front door. They want war and we are the damn kings. Let them see who they challenged and what happens to the ones who defy the Three Crowns.”_** he completed **_“They might have some good numbers, so you will take the major part of my army and some of your men as well. All of them dressed like mine and with my shields and flags. Also, there is a small coast here.”_** he pointed on the map ** _“I’ll send my boats to this coast, as a way to intimidate them. And to let our bay here in Kattegat totally empty for the merchants.”_**

It was time for Ubbe to curve his lips.

**_“What are you trying to hook, little brother?”_ **

Ivar smiled cockily. Ubbe was becoming smarter about him now.

 ** _“Big fishes require big baits, my brothers…”_** Ivar said, with a devilish smile in his face.

Ubbe and Hvitserk smiled at each other understanding his intentions.

And so, Ivar smiled, sealing the plan.

–

_Miles away, in the North._

**_“Lord Bolduir… A messenger requires an audience with my king.”_** the thrall interrupted Bolduir’s reunion with the other Earls and so, a man was introduced into the hall.

 ** _“What is your message and where does it come from?”_** Bolduir asked, dry.

But the messenger raised his head up, proudly; looking Bolduir from up to down as if he was more than Bolduir could reach.

 ** _“My king sent me here because he says he doesn’t like not-fulfilled promises and broken_** **_pacts.”_**

For a second, Bolduir recoiled in his chair, holding his breath.

Was a messenger from Kattegat?

But the man just ignored his expression and kept talking.

**_“My king doesn’t like traitors… Or men without a word. However, the enemy of his enemy might be his ally as long as he agrees to be trustful and loyal to a new vow that shall be made over new armbands that aren’t from fallen kings.”_ **

The man extended a wooden wand holding a number of armbands that was the count of the Earls from the North, all of them with bones attached to the gold, but one of them, special and different, had precious stones in the eyes of a dragon’s head that closed the armband by biting her own tail. This special armband, the messenger offered to Bolduir.

 ** _“My King says Kattegat needs a single crown and the North shall have his own king. What do you think, King Bolduir?”_** the man asked and Bolduir took the armband studying the figure.

The other Earls looking to the new armbands that should be used to replace Ragnar’s on their wrists.

 ** _“Does your king have a name, young man?”_** Bolduir asked and the messenger smiled.

**_“His name doesn’t need to be mentioned. I came from Vestfold”._ **


	8. Winds of Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SMUT allert

The dinner was a real success. Asta made the rabbits and Hvitserk ate almost them all by himself while Ubbe and Ivar were distracted, talking about Ivar’s new achievements in England.

According to him, the colony was growing well inside the fortified walls of the city and the place was settled so well that he was starting to get bored of the peace, thinking about expanding some territories more to the west and **_“…Hvitserk, you fucking bastard, there are other people in this fucking table that also like rabbit meat, you damn dredge! Stop sucking your fingers and let something more than damn bones for us, you bottomless well!”_**

Hvitserk stopped eating for a second, looking at Ivar with a mocking expression on his face before taking another piece of rabbit, leaving the exact same number of pieces at the bowl to each brother of his: four cubes of an entire hunt were all that left to be divided equally by Ubbe and Ivar.

 ** _“Hvitserk!”_** Ubbe complained, looking at the bowl, and Asta smiled, satisfied and proud of her work.

 ** _“I’m glad my king liked the rabbits,”_** she said, meekly and lovely.

And you could see the way Hvitserk’s smile turned to her, so sweet when he took her hands in his fingers, kissing her knuckles.

 ** _“Your hands are blessed by the gods, sweet Asta. Lucky and blessed is the man who owns your heart”_** he declaimed, almost poetic.

But you got his intentions of getting information about her state. She became red once again, giving him the answer he wanted in goodwill, almost bewitched by his eyes.

**_“There is no such a man, my king.”_ **

He frowned falsely, causing Ivar to roll his eyes and Ubbe to giggle by your side.

**_“How in Midgard can a woman like you not being married yet? Unless… I think I know. The gods are keeping you to a man they want to bless. Maybe… A king…”_ **

**_“For the gods’ sake, Hvitserk, just tell her you want her by your side. Jez…”_** Ivar said, breaking the poetry of the moment, causing Ubbe to poke his head, Asta to become red as a tomato and you to cover your mouth trying not to laugh so loud. **_“What? Am I lying? He keeps rounding and rounding but anyone can see he couldn’t take his eyes from the girl since we arrived. Just tell her what you want, and you, good cooker, just tell him yes, cause everyone can see in your eyes you liked him as well”._**

 ** _“We can see why you’re still alone, Ivar,”_** Ubbe said, joking, receiving a smart look back that surprised both of the brothers.

 ** _“Who told you I’m alone, brother? York must be ruled while I’m not there, and my queen can do it pretty well until I come back”_** he said, cockily, taking a sip from his cup and causing Ubbe to frown and Hvitserk to straighten his body at the chair.

 ** _“Your queen?”_** he asked, and Ivar smiled.

 ** _“There must be a moment for me to bring her and introduce my queen to this family. But now, we must rest. Take this night for your goodbyes to your queens, my brothers. Tomorrow you shall leave to the North and may the gods protect you in battle so you may come back with glorious tales from our conquers. Skål!”_** he toasted, being followed by his brothers’ cups and yours as well.

With the end of the dinner, Ivar left to the room Hvitserk has prepared for him and also Hvitserk left, softly taking Asta with him.

Ubbe took you to his room, and you saw nostalgia in his eyes when he leaned himself over the wooden table to look through the window.

 ** _“What is weighing over my king’s shoulders?”_** you said, coming closer, caressing his back with your hands, causing him to sigh, turning himself to you.

 ** _“Memories… Good and bad ones, my love”_** he answered, touching your face softly, caressing your cheek **_“I’m glad you’re here, my queen. I’m sorry I didn’t give you a proper marriage, but as soon as I come back from the North…”_**

You touched his lips with yours, cutting his sentence and smiling against them when he closed his eyes, deeply sighing, clearly trying to get numb of your scent.

**_“I belong to you, my king. And the gods know that since they made me for you. We’ll have our time and I’m not hurried.”_ **

Your fingers touched his face and he leaned his head, touching his forehead on yours, caressing your face with his, nuzzling your nose with his on those caresses you liked so much to receive from him.

 ** _“Things weren’t like I planned,”_** he said.

And you felt his hands hugging your waist, bringing you tightly into his embrace.

**_“Things weren’t like I wanted for us, my love. But I don’t care. It doesn’t matter what happened. I still want you to be mine”._ **

You took a step back, out of his embrace and for a second, Ubbe felt maybe it was too soon to ask for it. Too soon to have his queen after all he left her to suffer. Maybe it was his punishment for being such a fool: go to into battle and risk to die without ever have touched or had you.

There was a mix of fear, insecurity, and sadness in his eyes, but you smiled softly, turning all these feelings into confusion into those blue lagoons you loved so badly.

You turned your arm to your back and picked the cord of your dress, softly pulling it down, slowly untying the cloth over your body, and so the confusion became desire into his eyes.

You weren’t denying him your body. Instead, you wanted him to see you and have you entirely and he understood it when the cloth slowly slid through your skin, exposing your body to his lustful eyes.

There was desire, but also love in his gaze. And he admired your silhouette entirely with a satisfying smile on his face before coming near you once again, taking your face in his hands and covering your mouth with a deep and passionate kiss.

Your hands slowly removed his clothes while his fingertips were running your body, finding spots where he managed to shiver your entire skin with a single touch.

You took his shirt off and so he embraced you, getting a moan from your mouth when the warmth of his body involved your skin.

It was so good and warm to have hands you wanted running your body, lifting you up to arms you wanted to carry you onto bed…

Ubbe placed you over the bed and got up to get rid of his trousers.

You saw him standing, his eyes running and admiring your beautiful naked body over his bed. So you smiled, kinda shy of his so directly gaze. And your blush made him smile, thinking you couldn’t be more beautiful.

However, he was wrong… And his eyes shined when you opened your arms to him, looking like a goddess inviting him into your embrace. 

**_“Ubbe…”_** you called.

And like mesmerized by a mermaid’s song, he came over you, taking your lips into a deep and passionate kiss, placing his body between your legs you gladly open to receive him.

There was no fighting or pain. Just your king and the delicious sensation of becoming one with the man you loved from the bottom of your heart. Just the pleasure of feeling him filling your body so well, moving slowly into you, moaning and grunting in pleasure sounds you wanted to hear.

Your arms embraced him and so your legs did the same, pulling his hips against yours, begging him mutely for deeper movements he gave you with pleasure, getting more of the delicious sound of your voice, moaning his name.

The sensation of his skin against yours wasn’t like anything you had ever felt. And his caresses and kisses to your mouth and body were building a warm sensation into your lower belly you could feel growing with each thrust.

You could feel everything. You were focused on feeling each detail of his body moving into yours.

He was harder now, warmer, bigger…

His moans became shorter and you knew he was about to come, holding himself with all the strength he could, just to feel something you didn’t know what was until he slid his hand between your bodies, rubbing some spot of your folds with his fingers that increased violently the growth of that sensation.

You couldn’t name what you were feeling, but it was amazing and for sure it was what he wanted because his lips curved in satisfaction when that sensation exploded into your belly, causing a wave of heat to engulf your entire body almost taking your breath with it.

You felt him swelling into your throbbing walls and so he came into you, filling your body with his warm seed, hiding your body into his embrace and moaning his pleasure against your lips before kissing you deeply once again.

He didn’t roll aside or came out of your body. Instead of it, he kept pecking your lips in soft kisses, feeling and letting you feel the numbness of that delicious explosion slowly vanishing from your body.

You two remained silent for a long time, only feeling the caresses from each other.

But your heart wasn’t clean. And the worrying of losing him on that battle came again, strong and big, causing you to hold him tighter against your body.

He laid by your side, pulling you into his embrace where you hid completely.

 ** _“Did I hurt you, my queen?”_** he asked, concerned some pain could be still making you sore.

But you shook your head negatively, looking into his eyes with pleading (y/e/c) orbs.

 ** _“Promise me you will return,”_** you demanded.

Then he was able to understand the expression in your face or the strength of your embrace.

Slowly, he turned to you in the bed, touching your face and looking straight into your eyes.

 ** _“Nothing will happen to me because I’ll fight to come back for you. I’m not fighting to win, my love. I’m fighting to end this so I can come back into your arms.”_** Ubbe said, with his fingers running your face softly, wiping the first tears of fear you let roll from your eyes.

 ** _“I love you, Ubbe. I can’t lose you. Not now… Not now that I can finally be yours.”_** the fear took you for a second and he pulled you into his arms.

 ** _“I promise you won’t.”_** he warranted, kissing your hair and tightly holding you against his arms **_“I promise you, my queen.”_**

**_-_ **

In the next morning, you were standing at the docks. Asta by your side, dressed in a beautiful blue dress Hvitserk gave to her as a gift. She was adorned as a queen and you knew the young king was completely in love with your sweet friend maybe as much as she was in love with him. It was possible to feel it through the passionate kiss they exchanged before he embarked, holding himself in one of the hopes to hang, tilted on the side of the vessel where he could look at her for more time while the boat was leaving.

Your eyes were focused on Ubbe’s blues, near the boat scowl, looking back at you. He was so beautiful, standing in his mantle, with the wolf’s fur around his neck and over his shoulders, looking like the king he was, imposing.

But yet, his eyes had love when looking into yours. You knew he didn’t lie and he would fight to come back to you.

 ** _“Come… We must keep the two of you safe until my brothers' return”_** Ivar’s voice sounded and your eyes caught the image of the boat on the horizon one more time.

 _“May the gods grant you a safe travel, my heart, and bring you back with the victory,”_ you thought before following Ivar’s steps into his chariot.

 ** _“Ubbe and Hvitserk shall navigate half of the way and then, they shall spread with my men through the coast, the lands and the woods, the way I told them to do. But you two can’t remain into Kattegat. There will be war here as well and if my calculations are right, it might be arriving soon, maybe a few days”_** he said, looking to the horizon, towards Vestfold, and smiling **_“I know that old fish and he will not wait too long to attack, but also he will give my brothers the time enough to become stupidity go back for the town. It might give me a week. Both of you are leaving today with the merchant and farms caravans. Some of my shieldmaidens are going with you to settle you down on my father’s old farm and there you shall wait until we come to bring you back. Do not trust what you hear and more than anything, if something goes wrong - which I doubt, but even then I shall be prepared to - you shall avoid Hedeby roads and go south, where the Earls are still loyal to my father and shall send you to my men in England, where Ubbe and Hvitserk will be able to find you after war. Did you get it?”_**

You nodded, holding Asta’s cold hand between yours.

But there wasn’t worry in your face. Instead of it, you were smiling, which caught Ivar’s attention, causing him to look at you.

 ** _“Why are you smiling, woman?”_** he asked, making your smile even bigger.

**_“I’m impressed. The legends don’t make a fair description of your intelligence, my lord. But they are right when they say not a single detail escapes from your blessed mind.”_ **

It caught Ivar unprepared, but he smiled back at you.

 ** _“Is true: Ubbe finally learned how to choose a wife. Come. We might keep you safe. Another woman like you would be asking too much from the gods and I wanna be sure my brother will be well married when he returns.”_** he joked.

His men helped him to climb on the chariot and so it was your time and Asta’s.

Your eyes looked at the sea one more time.

_Now it was a matter of time until you could see your precious king once again._


	9. Eagles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ritual and blood spilling. Lots of it XD

How long since Hvitserk had felt that way for the last time? Oh… He could remember.

York and the Christians. Men falling to each of his steps. Amazing battle!

He giggled and yelled as loud as he could.

**_“The Christians from England are bravest!”_ **

His hoarse voice reaching the men arranged in a line in front of him. None of them daring to take a step forward into the arena of dead bodies that were disposed around the young king who was laughing at his enemies cowardice.

 ** _“C'mon!!! Who among you want to feast in Valhalla tonight, uh?! Come and face me_**!!” he defied, hitting his chest covered in blood with the guard of his sword firmly held in his hand.

Ivar’s men standing behind him in an entire line of wild berserkers thirsty for blood, scaring his enemies even more. Hvitserk could even say his eyes found one or two of those men crying.

He raised his sword towards them; his blade reflecting the sun in the middle of the blood that was still dripping in thick drops from the metal.

**_“If you do not have the courage to die for a cause, then don’t fight for it! If you do not have the courage to bleed for your commander, then do not follow him! If you do not have the courage to stand for your goals, then do not crave for them! Now leave your swords and shields on the ground and surrender, or stick to them and FIGHT ME!”_ **

There wasn’t a single man holding a sword or a shield after his words. The metallic and wooden sounds of the swords and shields going to the ground were almost instant and Hvitserk laughed, disgusted.

**_“I should slaughter you all for you shame our gods with your existence”_ **

**_“Shall we?”_** one of Ivar’s men asked but Hvitserk only shook his head no.

 ** _“Let them live with their shame and may Hel kiss them all, old, in their beds. Now leave!”_** he ordered the foes that started running away from the battlefield. **_“UBBE!!”_** Hvitserk yelled in a potent voice, trying to reach his brother on the other side of the field **_“DID YOU BROUGHT ME HERE TO FIGHT DOGS? TELL ME THE MEN ARE ON YOUR SIDE!”_** he joked.

 ** _“THE HELL THEY ARE!”_** Ubbe screamed back.

Unlike his brother, he was sweating to fight some good opponents who were putting on a fight for him to be engraved in his memory.

**_“FROM TWO, CHOSE ONE: I’M OLD OR THESE MEN ARE FUCKING GOOD!”_ **

**_“Good.”_** Hvitserk laughed looking to the man beside him **_“Cause I was about to prepare myself to go back to my sweet Asta’s bed. Let’s go! Just like he does with the women, Ubbe chose the better side for him! Let us teach him to share!”_**

The younger bastard was looking like a happy child indeed. Jumping between the dead bodies to reach his brother and diving into battle like a wild beast.

So as the older one, screaming and opening his arms towards men who were going full charge on him as if it wasn’t a total madness to open your chest in teasing like that. Who had seen him entering so placid into his Hall some few months later or smiling to his daughter so passionate would never imagine the legends were right and he was that savage on the battlefield. 

Bolduir was running out of options. With the fear of finding Ivar on each damn corner after the ambush that the brothers had prepared by placing men inside the woods outside the borders of the North to flank and surprise his men and with the boats on his coast not allowing them to flee through the sea or have a real notion of how big that damn army was, the Earls were weakening. Two of them had already fallen through Ubbe’s sword. The third one was fighting Hvitserk now and would perish soon: Bolduir wasn’t stupid. Fight those men sword to sword would be retarded!

The other Earls that, like him, were too old or to cowards to raise up a sword against the kings were trying to think about a way out when Bolduir moved his hand ordering the men to bring him a horse.

 ** _“Where are you going!? We can’t be without our king at this moment!”_** Earl Ingvar rose up his voice and so the other two Earls did the same **_“A king must sacrifice himself for his people, Boldu-”_** the man cut his words when Bolduir’s sword raised up against his throat silenced all the voices around him.

 ** _“A king must survive to avenge his people and that’s exactly what I’ll do. Look around, Ingvar. The entire army of those bastards is here! The crippled fag must be on those boats, giving orders like the king he thinks he is while the two other savage beasts are ravaging our army down on the battlefield! Think a little, you idiot! If the three of them are here, then Kattegat fell under Harald’s forces! Or do you think my daughter is queen capable enough to rule something more than her pots? Harald offered us support and I’ll go to Kattegat to find him! We served as bait on his plan to conquer that city! Now he must help us retrieve what’s ours!”_** the fat man said, adjusting himself over the horse. **_“You served your king well. Your names shall be remembered,”_** he said, arrogant, kicking his heels on the horse’s belly and forcing an intense pace while Ingvar and the others were looking astonished his departure.

But Ubbe’s eyes were already following him.

He was fighting to reach his position and so he saw when Bolduir started his fleeing. He wouldn’t let his target go away so easily.

 ** _“HVITSERK! BOW!”_** he yelled, and Hvitserk yelled again, transmitting his ask to the men around him.

**_“BOW!”_ **

In a few seconds, Hvitserk received a bow from the men and threw it to Ubbe who pulled an arrow from a dead body on the ground and aimed at Bolduir’s horse.

The animal was tracing a parabolic curve near where Ubbe was standing, which made it easy for Ubbe to aim his leg, right on his knee.

The arrow caused the animal to fall over Bolduir’s leg, breaking it and preventing the so-called king to keep fleeing.

The old man was hissing in pain when Ubbe came near with Hvitserk and some of the men. The other Earls were being put in chains and the remaining men under their orders, killed.

The war in the North was over and Bolduir defeated, but there was still anger into Ubbe’s eyes when he leaned over the horse’s body, letting his own weight cause some more pain to the smashed leg Bolduir had under the immobile animal. On the fall, the horse had broken its neck and it would be a hell of a work to take it from above Bolduir’s body. The old man squealed when Ubbe supported one of his arms on the horse, leaning his chin over his arm to look at the man’s suffering.

 ** _“Wanna know what, brother?”_** he said, talking to Hvitserk, but not taking his blue eyes from Bolduir’s orbs filled with fear **_“When I found (Y/N) behind that door, I did it hearing the sounds of Erik’s fists against her body…”_** his expression turned intense and angry **_“I didn’t hear a single scream from her mouth”._**

Bolduir sobbed, trying to hold his own voice when the older king used the support on the saddle of the fallen horse as a step to go upon the dead animal’s body and scream to his man.

 ** _“Prepare the ritual!”_** he yelled, going down from the horse hearing the screams of the men around them, leaning towards the old boar on the ground.

Hvitserk jumped the dead horse, looking at him as well; an eager smile on his face.

 ** _“Tonight I’ll give you one last chance for Valhalla, old man. Let’s see if this King in the North is strong as the daughter his seed produced… You gonna fly with the eagles, Bolduir.”_** he patted the old man’s shoulder and got up being followed by a giggling Hvitserk who ordered the men to remove the horse and prepare Bolduir to the rites.

To the other Earls was offered the option to sacrifice themselves to the gods in goodwill or to drink poison and open hand from Valhalla for their betrayal. With the three of them choosing to be sacrificed, their blood was used on the altar, to prepare the principal ritual.

Bolduir watched, being held by Ubbe’s men when Hvitserk pierced Ingvar’s chest with a sword, leaning the struggling body towards the wooden bowl, collecting his blood before leaning the dead corpse on the ground to the men to take and hang with the other two corpses.

There were torches enlightening the path to the altar and around it. The light of the fire making the floor look as if it was made of gold.

The runes were painted with the blood and both, Hvitserk and Ubbe had their foreheads marked with the blood. The two shieldmaidens that were helping with the ritual started walking between the men, marking their foreheads with the bowls of blood in their hands, but all the eyes were focused on the center of the altar where Ubbe was waiting for the man two of the warriors were dragging all the way to the altar.

Bolduir was placed o the position and Hvitserk settled the blade on a bowl with embers to warm. Slowly, Ubbe fixed Bolduir’s position, straightening his arms and raising his face to look into his eyes.

 ** _“You looked forward and your chin was high when you decided to betray me. I remember your head was raised when you lied to me. So you shall keep it raised to face the consequences, father”_** he almost mocked the title Bolduir had indeed.

The old man could never imagine ending this way, on his knees, shirtless, looking forward to finding eyes eager for seeing his blood being spilled and beautiful women dancing to celebrate his death.

He closed his eyes when Ubbe’s hand touched his back.

His hand was warm.

The boy behind him wasn’t nervous or shaking. Instead of it, he was firm and his hand was precise when touching the incandescent blade on his skin, slowly sliding it down to open the first cut and start separating the skin from the muscles.

The old boar grunted. Bolduir was saving his screams for he knew it wasn’t even the half of the worst pain he would feel there. He mentally cursed Ubbe for the burning sensation in his back: the young king wasn’t separating the skin with his hands only, but burning the muscle through the entire process to prevent Bolduir’s bleeding to take his life too early.

He wanted Bolduir to feel all the pain he could feel before passing away. And to inspire himself to each centimeter of skin opened, he remembered the bruises on (Y/N)’s body, the wounds he saw on her skin, the marks on her back, the soreness that almost didn’t let her walk on the first days of their travel and prevented her to mount a horse properly almost for the entire way from the North to Kattegat, obligating her to travel with both legs aside or almost on his lap for some more comfort to her torn body.

Ubbe remembered Bolduir’s lies to make him angry enough to hit the bones and break them out, slowly, one by one, as the dreams of his daughter Bolduir broke with Erik’s help.

He barely could hear the screams of pain from the old pig in front of him; or Hvitserk laughing while looking into the dying man’s eyes.

 ** _“He won’t make it, Ubbe,”_** Hvitserk said, but Ubbe just kept going, at the same pace, remembering all the time Bolduir let Erik torture his beloved queen in his absence, denying help to his own daughter, allowing her to be raped and spanked multiple times under his own roof.

He broke the last bones with the broken memory of (Y/N) on her mother’s tree Bolduir allowed Erik to break and set on fire. Ubbe could remember the nostalgia and the feelings on the smile she had on her face when touching and talking about that tree Bolduir destroyed.

As his older brother Björn once did for avenging their father, he sank his hands on Bolduir’s body, hearing one last grunt of pain from the old slaughtered boar. And slowly, he raised his lungs, leaning the two pieces of red meat over the shoulders of the dead body.

Hvitserk was smiling at Ubbe. (Y/N) and all the torture she suffered was avenged. Earl Ármóðr and the terrible death he earned for his loyalty was avenged. The doors of the Valhalla were opened for him and Ubbe looked up to the sky, mutely asking his father to receive the loyal man on his table as he imagined on that letter.

He came down from the altar and took a good look at Bolduir’s dead face.

His eyes were facing the emptiness, his mouth dripping red drops.

 ** _“It’s done.”_** Ubbe said and Hvitserk looked at him **_“Let’s go home”._**


	10. Trickster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have to say I felt sorry for Harald in this chapter. To the Harald’s lovers, don’t kill me, but well, it was this or worst…

To come into fishing boats was a good idea after all: Kattegat’s horns weren’t sounded until they landed at the docks.

But there wasn’t anyone at the docks and it worried Harald. What was the plan of the three bastards in the end? To leave the city entirely abandoned? Who would do such a thing?

And who would close the market just because of a battle that isn’t even near the capital?

 ** _“Be careful. I don’t trust these three brats, not anymore”_** Harald said to his men.

They were stepping carefully and he didn’t have taken too much man with him through the sea. The other groups would come through the woods, the roads, and the walls. His idea was to confuse Hvitserk because he could remember very well that the most intricate plans of his little brother had to be explained in parts or just not explained. Hvitserk couldn’t take too many things at the same time and he would rather listen to what he had to do and period.

So multiple spots of attacking would confuse the boy and make it easy to overthrow him. However, something was wrong.

Unless their men had lost the time and attacked before he was planning at some spot, Kattegat’s beach was too empty to his taste.

The horns finally sounded, but just to confirm Harald’s suspicious: not the alarm sound, long and clear, but some fast sounds, as if they were counting something. He paid attention and soon he noticed the towers weren’t touching the horns at the same time, but each tower was sounding at a time.

When he raised his eyes, they got widen with a fifth sound at the sequence.

Five sounds. Five spots he was intending to attack: the horns were telling them which spots were already being attacked, in which spots they had approached enough.

 ** _“It’s a fucking ambush! RETRIEVE!!”_** he ordered, and so Ivar’s men got out of everywhere.

There were men inside barrels, under the docks, around the tents, inside the abandoned boats, everywhere!

And when Harald’s men reached the water, he heard another horn sounding from the beach tower and a barrier of long thorns was released, getting up from the bottom of the sea, locking their boats, destroying some of them on the process.

The fucking bastards locked him there. They were waiting for him. He heard the sound of the crutch and so everything made sense.

**_“You crippled bastard…”_ **

It wasn’t Hvitserk…

It was the damn bastard Ivar who stayed behind to lead Kattegat while the others were in the North biting the bait he had thrown for them.

The men that weren’t killed were surrounded around him and Harald’s eyes found those damn blues he hated so much looking at him with that air of victory that Ivar had mixed with sarcasm in his smile.

 ** _“Welcome back, King Harald!”_** he said, tilting his head aside, ironic **_“I’m sorry to say my brothers had a little problem to solve in the North, so they aren’t here to receive you as well. However, you know my crippled ass don’t like cold places, so I try to keep my butt away from the snow, ya know?”_ **Ivar was playing with him.

That sarcastic smile on his face causing Harald’s stomach to turn inside his belly.

The sound of screaming, the smell of fire and the sound of the road tower’s horn called Harald’s attention and Ivar smiled in a victorious curve.

 ** _“What was that? What have you done?”_** Harald asked, almost hysterical when rolls of black smoke started to erupt from the road location and the sound of the second road tower’s horn started to sound quite before smoke could be seen coming from there as well.

 ** _“Ah, this?”_** Ivar opened his arms, smiling **_“These are my welcoming gifts to your little parties on my doors. I thought I should prepare something to receive you, my old friend”_** Ivar’s eyes became murderous and Harald heard the horn from the woods tower sounding.

Those sounds were the sign of his men, dying for he was stupid enough to fall on Ivar’s traps once again.

 ** _“You fucking damn crippled! I will kill you!!”_** he growled, trying to advance, but a wall of shields was suddenly formed in front of Ivar, pushing him back to the center of his men’s circle to see the boy laughing, dismissing the shields as if he was untouchable by himself.

 ** _“I admire you. I have to be honest, I admire your inner fire and the impetuous way you fight, Harald. But you have to admit it was kinda innocent of you to think I would leave Hvitserk taking care of everything without a single plan in mind…”_** Ivar said, looking at him with that despicable arrogance in his face and poking his own temple to indicate he had a brain inside that bony skull **_“And you really thought I would leave Vestfold and not to have a single man following your butt all the time? Oh, how sweet of you to trust me this way… I’m not stupid, Harald. I knew you would come for Kattegat just as you wanted to do before. And who can blame me for betraying our little pact: you entered on that war just because it was a good excuse to go over my father’s crown for my father’s lands. You always had eyes for Kattegat, greedy eyes, eager eyes that was just waiting for Ragnar to die so you could conquer what you could never take from my father’s hands. Of from Björn’s after him”_** he continued, causing Harald to clench his teeth on noticing how far that boy was able to read him ** _. “You even killed your own brother for this goal, do you really think I don’t know how far you could go for Kattegat? I killed my own brother as well, Harald, because I wanted the peace of his silence and I was able to do anything for it, so there is no man on the face of Midgard that knows your feelings better than me.”_**

Ivar’s expression became hard and Harald lowered his head.

The memory of Halfdan’s betrayal and the way he had to kill his brother eating his heart inside.

 ** _“But we aren’t here to remember the dead are we?”_** Ivar said, causing Harald to raise his eyes for him again **_“Instead of what you think, I’m not killing your men. At least not now”._**

Harald’s eyes looked surprised and Ivar tilted his head softly once again.

 ** _“The smoke you’re seeing is from traps indeed. And I see you got my little code of communication between my horn towers. You’re right: they are sending signs to each other and now, all my tower guards are looking to us since, as you can see…”_** he pointed behind him, showing a line of his men with a pair of shields in their hands. **_“…I have to give them an order and you will be the one who will tell me what to say. Each warrior on that line has a red and a yellow shield. Depending on what will be your answer to my proposal, they will raise the yellow shield, allowing my tower guards to signalize my men to bring your men here, to the beach, where you all shall have a beautiful family reunion to departure together or…”_** he made a brief pause, causing Harald to swallow dry **_“they will raise the red shield and my towers will signalize my men to slaughter your men around my entire city, so you will be able to see a beautiful sea of burning boats tonight.”_**

Harald knew he had to be careful with his choices because the murderous bastard in front of his eyes wasn’t kidding. Ivar could kill everyone in a single strike with no remorse and he knew most of his men were fathers, brothers, husbands… They were all disposed to die for him, but if he could preserve their lives…

**_“What do you want, Ivar?”_ **

**_“You will lower your head and accept to be an earl under the Three Crowns of Kattegat from today on. Vestfold will become one of our counties and you can keep ruling your fishermen’s little village under my reign, being a good and meek ally and not ever again stepping on Kattegat without a really good reason or a formal invitation from your kings…”_** Ivar’s eyes shined on his and Harald felt his pride being pinned under Ivar’s sharp crutch **_“Or I can kill your men, burn you on top of their funeral pyre, clean that filthy land you call your kingdom until I be sure that there is not a single peasant loyal to your damn name so I can start Vestfold from the zero and under my crown anyway.”_** he grunted, harsh, looking right into Harald’s eyes.

Remembering him all people of Vestfold was loyal to him and would die with the wrong choice since his best warriors were there with him and there will be no warriors enough to protect his city.

**_“Your choice… What will be: die as a king with your people or rule them as a loyal earl, Harald?”_ **

Harald had no choice. He felt his sweaty hands shivering on the sword and shield.

A boy.

He who faced dozens of enemies was falling because of a boy. A damn son of Ragnar, favored by the gods, blessed by them…

His pride was destroyed, so why to sacrifice innocent people because of something that couldn’t be restored?

At least, as an earl, he could keep his people safe from the bloody hands of that crippled and beside Kattegat, his merchants would grow faster. Vestfold would become majestic. It is not that he couldn’t make Vestfold bigger than it was already, but he always has seen Kattegat as a powerful wind on his sails. And now the entire boat could have this wind if he could let go of the rudder.

He heard his men’s words and mourns when his shield hit the ground and they saw their king bend to another man. Harald sunk his sword tip at the sand of Kattegat and over the land he swore would be his one day, he made a new oath.

 ** _“For the lives of my men and my people and the greater good of my kingdom, I accept your terms, Boneless.”_** he grunted, clenched teeth to say the harder and bitterest words of his entire life ** _“Vestfold bends under the Three Crowns in exchange of your benevolence, King Ivar”._**

Ivar smiled and leaned his body to look Harald in the eyes.

 ** _“Kingdoms don’t bend under our crowns, Harald. They bloom,”_** he said, motioning his fingers to the men.

Yellow shields were raised and the sound of the horns echoed through Kattegat.

His men were saved and still under his leadership, but he felt Ivar’s fingers sliding through his face, pushing his metal crown from his head to the ground.

 ** _“Send your men back home, Earl Harald. Only the closes shall stay to testify your oath of loyalty and feast with us. The rest of them can safely go back to their families. Come. You’re my guest tonight. But remember”_** he said; his blue eyes fiercely into Harald’s. **_“Your kings have eyes everywhere. My brothers and I are like Odin and his crowns. What my eyes can’t see, their eyes are seeing. Do not try to stab one of our backs or the two other pairs of hands will rip your heart out. Was I clear?”_**

 ** _“My king”_** one of Harald’s men raised his voice looking at him **_“Is that what you want for real?”_**

 ** _“Yes.”_** Ivar answered in his place, leaving clear who was the king walking around **_“Why do I should work so hard for something I don’t want, my friend?”_** he said, almost ironically, seeing the man oscillating his gaze from him to Harald, who was getting up from the sand. **_“Now go, go back to your family. Your wife must be waiting. Go. There is no reason for you to remain here.”_** Ivar motioned his fingers for the men to go and Harald sighed.

**_“You listened to your king. Go back to your homes and families. There is nothing more to be seen here”._ **

Walking behind Ivar, Harald left behind men with heads low.

Their king was defeated and their dream, over.

Some of them simply couldn’t accept such a fate and one of them, the one who was talking, growled in fury, advancing with his sword towards Ivar’s back. A fast reaction that would cost him dear: he would be able to sink his sword into Ivar’s shoulder before his men finished his life, but the man was disposed to go forward and die for his king’s honor.

However, it wasn’t an enemy sword that blocked the strike, but Harald’s blade itself held the man’s sword against his. And he placed his body between the man and Ivar, looking straight into the man’s eyes.

**_“I said go back home. This is not our way and you know this. We don’t backstab anyone for no reason. I gave my word of loyalty and it shall be respected.”_ **

**_“My king, what about your dream?!”_** he tried, but Harald pushed him back under the attentive blues of Ivar.

**_“A king shall sacrifice himself for the sake of our people! It is true I want to be the king of entire Norway, but more than this I want to see my lands grow. There is no meaning of being a king on a burning pyre from the ashes of my dreams! I much rather be the earl of growing families and fertile lands! Now go back to your lands, my friend. Go back to your wife. I know she’s bearing your child. Go see your firstborn come into this world and don’t worry. Any of you shall worry. Bright times will come.”_ **

Ivar just smiled behind Harald. It was wise words in his mouth and a good proof of what he already knew.

Harald could be brave and fierce, but he was wise. His loyalty would serve the crowns very well and he didn’t intend to disturb Vestfold as long as Harald was able to keep his eager hands away from Kattegat.

In the hall, the terms were defined and Harald made his oath under a new armband. A feast was served and in the morning, the new earl left with his broken pride and promises of peace.

The deal between them wasn’t that bad for Harald after all: the division of the docks left all the fisher boats with Vestfold and merchants on Kattegat, allowing the two docks to work together as he used to plan in his dreams. Vestfold would raise and grow as he wanted. It wasn’t a bad deal after all.

_It wasn’t a bad deal after all…_

_It wasn’t a bad deal after all…_

His mind kept repeating it while his boat was going away from Kattegat’s bay.

His eyes on the metal crown Ivar was holding in his hand, looking to the boats from the beach waving ironically while they were peacefully going away.

_It wasn’t a bad deal, after all._


	11. Under Three Crowns

The travel from the North wasn’t so hard. With the enemies defeated and the war finalized, about three months after departing, Ubbe and Hvitserk could take half of the time Ubbe took last time he had to travel from the North to Kattegat once he could use the main roads and walk freely through their lands to come home.

In fact, it was a pleasurable travel. It was always good to travel with Hvitserk by his side, betting which horse could be faster, hunting in the afternoon and feasting with the men at the camp through the night. It was almost like going back to his youth, pushing Hvitserk on the water of the rivers or being surprised by a pull in his braid while aiming a rabbit with his bow. In years, Ubbe didn’t felt so alive.

The times of war was finally over and even missing Sigurd’s songs and his oud, life was becoming better now. With the proximity of Kattegat, the men started separating the caravan, slowly leaving the major group to take their own way home. Some of the farms were near the road and Ubbe’s eyes could see the wives receiving the warriors. Children hugging their fathers and celebrating the safe return, making his heart even more eager.

She was there, waiting for him.

**_“Anxious, brother?”_** Hvitserk’s voice sounded waking him up from his thoughts.

Ubbe smiled.

**_“As much as you are,”_** he said, pushing Hvitserk shoulder while the two horses were walking side to side, in a medium pace.

**_“I have no reason to lie. I miss Asta’s scent. And her food… Oh, I shall hunt some rabbits before we get into Kattegat!”_** He said, licking his lips, anxious for that delicious flavor in his mouth once again.

Ubbe giggled, rolling his eyes.

**_“I miss (Y/N) as well. I shall marry her when we arrive. We could do it on the same day, Hvitserk. I marry (Y/N) and you marry Asta, so I can win the brother’s run and make you serve both of our brides in a single night”_** Ubbe joked, receiving a middle finger from his younger brother.

**_“Very funny, you bastard. You just say it because you have long legs. There is nothing to do with running and I could win if you didn’t have such large steps!”_** Hvitserk said, trying to find excuses to justify his last loss.

They kept joking the entire way and Hvitserk did stop for hunting those rabbits he wanted so badly. But the so waited doors of Kattegat were finally in front of them.

Everything was running the right way at the city and Ubbe’s eyes frowned not seeing a single fishing boat at the docs. Some new merchants, however, were spread all over the market and some of them Hvitserk recognized from Vestfold’s docks.

**_“Did you like what I did, brothers?”_** Ivar’s voice sounded almost cockily, from behind them and Ubbe came down from his horse. Hvitserk was already handing his to the thrall, looking to his younger brother’s arrogant expression.

**_“And what is it that I was supposed to like or dislike, Ivar?”_** Ubbe said causing Ivar to giggle.

**_“Earl Harald sent us some good merchants and our fishing boats now have a new dock to discharge their fish, clean it and bring it ready for the market to sell,”_** Ivar said, causing Hvitserk to frown.

**_“Earl Harald?”_** he asked, noticing the abrupt changing on Harald’s title.

**_“Yes. Vestfold is now under the Three Crowns of Kattegat and there is a lot that I shall talk to you two, my brothers. Your tales had already reached my ears. Victory against the North and a beautiful blood eagle to remember the northern people their kings accept no betrayal. A good decision, Ubbe. Something that surprised me coming from you.”_ **

Ubbe didn’t know if it was a needle or a praising. With Ivar, you could never know these simple things, so he decided to go for the best and avoid unnecessary arguing.

**_“That man had to die and I chose the way to make him an example for the others. But now, my brother, you shall forgive me. I’m exhausted, dirty, thirsty and hungry.”_ **

**_“Principally hungry!”_** Hvitserk interfered with the rabbits in his hands, causing Ivar to giggle from his constant need for food.

**_“I wish I could say your hunt was unnecessary since I sent our hunters for rabbits to receive you two when the news of your arrival reached my ears, but with Hvitserk and Asta’s rabbits, we know more rabbits are never expendable.”_** Ivar joked, and Ubbe smiled on feeling a good air around them both after all. **_“Come, come. The girls shall be happy to know you two finally arrived.”_**

Hvitserk handed the rabbits for the slave to take to the kitchens in the hall and another slave took Ubbe’s horse, taking both the animals to receive food, water, a proper bath and rest after the travel.

The three princes walked towards the city, receiving some greetings and welcoming from time to time. Ubbe’s eyes looking around, satisfied with the peaceful ambient around him while Ivar and Hvitserk were talking about the battle; Hvitserk telling Ivar jokes about the fear of the men from the North and the way they trembled under his standard coming on the flags in the horizon.

But the conversation stopped as soon as they turned the corner to the Great Hall and Asta saw them coming from the entrance of the hall.

Her eyes shined and Hvitserk stopped talking, smiling and looking at her with a sweet expression.

**_“Princess…”_** he said, smiling.

And then, she ran to him, throwing herself into his arms, embracing his neck and kissing his lips passionately as if they didn’t see each other through years and not only the months that separated them both. He held her waist, receiving her into his embrace with the same missing she was showing on the loving sentences she was mumbling against his lips.

There was so much love between them both now. It warmed Ubbe’s heart and even Ivar couldn’t help himself from smiling to the way Asta was caressing Hvitserk’s face, nuzzling his nose with hers the way his queen used to do at England when they were with each other. He missed her. It would be good to come back and be well received that way.

However, Ubbe’s eyes looked around not seeing a trace of his own queen. Wasn’t (Y/N) waiting for him or working at the feast alongside Asta?

Before Ubbe’s forehead could earn a new wrinkle, Ivar touched his shoulder, calling his attention.

**_“She’s probably at your room now. There is something for you to know about your queen, but I will let it for her to tell you. Go. The feast shall be ready soon and there is too much for us to talk tonight. Go see your queen, brother”_**.

Ubbe nodded to Ivar, walking inside the Hall, seeing some smiles on familiar faces among the thralls and servants, some of them thanking the gods their prince was back in safety.

His steps took him through the hallways, until he reached his room’s door, softly knocking on it before coming in.

**_“(Y/N)?”_** he asked, seeing your back while you were sitting on the bed; your fingers working with some colored lines and bone needles, crossing the colors into a beautiful little blanket.

**_“Ubbe!”_** you smiled.

Placing your lines on the bed and slowly getting up to come to him.

Enjoying the way the light in his eyes changed when your body turned to him, showing through the clothes of your mantle and dress, the rounded belly starting to show up his child inside your body.

**_“My king…”_** you said, with the smile in your mouth turning into a soft curve.

He touched your face with his fingers and caressed your cheeks with his thumb.

**_“You’re with child”_** his voice affirmed and you nodded, smiling even brighter.

The multiple times Erik had hurt and raped you had given you nothing but sore and sadness, but at the single time your king made love to you, the gods had blessed your womb to hold his firstborn son.

Ubbe leaned his body down, bending on his knee to touch your belly with his hands and his face, nuzzling his skin against the rounded mound in your dress, kissing and caressing it with his fingers.

**_“My child… The first of my children. You made me a happy man.”_** he said, talking with the growing life inside your womb.

You landed your hand on his head, caressing his hair and slowly going down to his beard, feeling the man you love kissing and dispending caresses all over your swollen belly before coming up again, taking your face in his hands and kissing you deeply, passionately.

He knew it would be good to be received by a loving woman. He knew it would be good to be back home.

But not in his best dreams Ubbe thought he could be so happy.

**_“I see you discovered her little secret, Ubbe,”_** Ivar said from the door, with his lips curved.

And you smiled softly at him while Ubbe’s hand was landing in your belly one more time.

**_“Thank you for not to tell him, Ivar,”_** you said, and Ivar just nodded.

Ubbe left you for a second and then you could see the surprise on Ivar’s face when his older brother pulled him into a hug.

_How long since they exchanged a hug that way?_

_How long since Ubbe pulled him into such a tight embrace?_

_How long since they treated each other like brothers for real?_

Ivar’s blues were lost and confused looking at you, but you just smiled, seeing Ubbe pressing his brother into his arms until Ivar circled his torso with his arms as well, hugging him back for a while.

**_“Thank you for taking good care of my heart and my family, brother”_** Ubbe said, releasing.

And so he looked from you to Ubbe some few times before sighing.

**_“Just don’t let Hvitserk eat all the rabbits by himself and… We are fine.”_** he said, trying to joke and making Ubbe smile, softly caressing the back of his head, causing you to smile softly to the lovely scene in front of your eyes.

The dinner was full of laughs and toasts, with Asta seated on Hvitserk’s lap, Ivar at the top of the table and Ubbe’s hand constantly landed on your belly, caressing your child with his thumb while throwing things on his brothers and making jokes that were making everyone at the table laugh and filling the hall with a delicious climate of fun and peace.

To see your king laughing that way was surely the best thing that ever happened in your life. But it was time to discuss serious things and after the dinner, Ivar, Hvitserk, and Ubbe started talking about the lands.

Asta was almost sleeping leaned on Hvitserk’s shoulder, but you were very attentive.

**_“We have to be honest: there must be a king in the north.”_** Ivar started **_“The lands are too far from the capital and if we let them on earls hands again, we must have to deal with other attempts of separation.”_**

**_“I agree with Ivar,”_** Hvitserk said, sighing **_“And also soon you’ll want to leave for England once again. We shall separate the crowns to stick our claim over the lands.”_**

**_“Hvitserk is already settled here.”_** Ubbe started ** _“The people of Kattegat already respect him and also, they changed kings too many times since our father died. It is better for us that Hvitserk remains here. You shall go back to your queen in England and I’ll settle with (Y/N) in the North.”_** he suggested **_“My queen is from their people and my son will be born there. My name is also known since I killed the leaders of the last rebellion with my own hands. My crown is stronger in the North, so as Hvitserk’s is stronger here and yours in England.”_**

**_“You’re right. Both of you are right”_** Ivar said, taking a sip from his cup **_“You shall marry your queens as you want and give some time for this belly to grow a little more.”_** he pointed you, causing you to smile.

**_“Then, we shall leave and Hvitserk stays as the formal King in Kattegat. Ubbe will settle as King in the North and I will settle as King in York. Don’t worry about Harald, Hvitserk. Since I left, I have some good spies into Vestfold living among his people and keeping me informed. If he ever tries to go against you, he shall feel the weight of our hands. Let us see each other from time to time for Upsalla and keep ourselves in touch using crows and messengers. You might supply me with men and I shall send you English products for the markets. Ubbe, you shall restore that coast from the North. There is space for a good market on those beaches. I’ll send with you the men who told me ideas about that place so you can use them to establish a commercial standing into the North as we have in Kattegat and now starting to work in York as well. Our lands shall grow, my brothers_**. **_Our lands shall grow!_** ”

You could remember the sound of the cups toasting to each other; or the playful laughs of Hvitserk, drunk after some few more hours of talking, saying he would also provide a way to impregnate Asta with twins so he would win the imaginary dispute about who between them was the better stallion from Odin’s lineage in their blood.

Now, three years after you left Kattegat with your king, a messenger brought the great news: Hvitserk had the twins he wanted so badly and was proudly announcing it to everyone. You smiled at the window of your room at your uncle’s house Ubbe chose to be yours. The place was built around a tree similar to the one your mother had planted and your father had destroyed. And you could remember your best childhood memories from that place.

The building was privileged, in a high point of the center from where you could see the coast not so distant, but also not so close. The market was established and people of the village Ubbe named Ármóðr, in memory of your uncle, were growing with the fishing of the fishes from the cold waters in the winter and autumn and from the cultures from summer and spring.

Your kingdom was growing so as you first son, who was now sleeping in the cradle near your bed; and your belly, full of Ubbe’s child once again.

He came from behind you, holding your body, placing his hands over your rounded belly and kissing your head before leaning his chin on your shoulder looking through the window to the same spot you were looking.

**_"It will start raining soon,”_** You said.

Your flair sharpened by the pregnancy, allowing you to feel the smell of the water coming in the air.

**_“That’s good for the plants. The gods are blessing these lands”_** he mumbled in your ear, kissing the shell of your ear and the curve of your neck, softly tracing a trail of kisses through your nape.

**_“Hn… Ubbe”_** you sighed his name, deep breathing.

**_“Come to bed, my queen. Let me help this child to come… I wanna fill you with more”_** he said, playfully.

And you turned to him, caressing his face, smiling against his lips.

Upsalla would come soon. And you would remember to thank the gods for your peace and lady Skuld for your fate.

_There is no way for you to be happier now._


End file.
